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Ferroelectric ceramics are very promising materials for a variety of piezoelectric applications such as high permittivity dielectrics, piezoelectric sensors, piezoelectric/electrostrictive transducers, actuators, electro-optic devices, etc. Among the commercially viable ferroelectric ceramics, the lead-zircon ate-titivate Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 (PZT) based ceramics have dominated the market due to their superior piezoelectric and dielectric property along with other advantages like high electromechanical coupling, ease of processing and low cost. However, the toxicity of lead based materials, and its volatility at processing temperatures is a serious health and environmental concern. Several legislations against lead-based products have been passed all over the world in order to encourage identification of alternative lead-free materials for these applications. As a consequence, there has been a remarkable surge in efforts by researchers on identifying lead-free alternatives for piezoelectric applications. A larger emphasis has been placed on perovskite based ceramics since in addition to possessing excellent properties, their relatively simple structure facilitates understanding structure-property relationships which are important for developing novel high performance materials. Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 (NBT) and its solid solutions are one of the leading classes of perovskite ceramics, which show promising ferroelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric property thereby having the potential to replace PZT based ferroelectrics. The parent compound NBT is ferroelectric with large ferroelectric polarization (~40 C/cm2), promising piezoelectric properties with 0.08% maximum strain and longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33) ~ 80 pC/N. Though NBT was discovered nearly six decades ago, a clear understanding of its structure remained elusive for a long time since different characterization techniques yielded contradicting reports on its structure and nature of phase transformation. However, rapid advances in characterization techniques in recent years have led to uncovering of new results, thereby shedding light on the true structure of NBT. X-ray and neutron diffraction studies in the past have shown that NBT exhibits rhombohedral (R3c) structure at room temperature, which undergoes a gradual transformation into tetragonal (P4bm) structure at ~230oC. However, recent characterization of both single crystal and powder of NBT using high resolution x-ray diffraction showed that the room temperature structure is not purely rhombohedral and the structure can be better modeled with a monoclinic (Cc) structure. In contrast to x-ray and neutron diffraction, electron diffraction studies have shown evidence for the presence of planar disorders, corresponding to in-phase octahedral tilts in the sample which cannot be accounted for by either R3c or Cc structure. In addition, EXAFS, x-ray and neutron total scattering studies, diffuse scattering studies, etc. have shown that the structural parameters obtained from bulk diffraction techniques are significantly different from the local structure of the material. Similar ambiguities have been observed even in NBT based solid solutions like BaTiO3, K1/2Bi1/2TiO3, etc. which show enhanced properties at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). A major breakthrough in understanding the structural complexity involved in NBT based solid solutions was achieved when it was found that the structure of the MPB compositions were sensitive to electric field. This led to solving the mystery behind the appearance of cubic-like phase at some of the MPB compositions where the application of electric-field resulted in the transformation of the structure into a co-existence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. Observation of an electric-field-induced structural transition at the MPB compositions was expected, because the MPB signifies instability in the system and even a minor external force can significantly influence the system. However, we have found that the structure of even pure NBT is significantly influenced by electric field and the framework of this thesis is based on this particularly important result. The intrinsic tendency of the electric field to affect the structure of NBT is a major factor which needs to be considered when studying similar phase transitions in the MPB compositions of NBT-substituted systems also. This was not taken into account by other research groups, and they assumed that the instability associated with the MPB was the only major factor involved in the electric-field induced transitions. A simple but highly effective strategy of grinding the electrically poled pellet into fine powder and then collecting x-ray diffraction patterns, facilitated elimination of preferred orientation in the sample. Thus, structural analysis by Rietveld refinement was possible even on the poled sample, which has not been carried out by any other groups on any ferroelectric ceramics so far. The initial part of the thesis deals with addressing the structural complexity of pure NBT, wherein the effect of electric field on the bulk structure as well as the local structure was studied in great detail. Later on, similar concepts are used to investigate BaTiO3 and K1/2Bi1/2TiO3 substituted NBT also. The first chapter of the thesis provides a brief introduction to the field of ferroelectrics, perovskite structure and their phase transition. An exposure to concepts like relaxor ferroelectrics, morphotrophic phase boundary, octahedral tilting, etc. has been provided. Then, a detailed overview of the existing literature related to the structure of NBT and its phase transition studies with temperature has been discussed. The details of the experimental procedures, characterization techniques used, and some theory behind these techniques have been provided in chapter 2. The third chapter deals with the room temperature structural characterization of pure NBT using techniques like x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, electron diffraction and EXAFS analysis. The results of these structural characterizations are also complemented with first-principles calculation study of the ground state structure of NBT, dielectric and ferroelectric characterization, and ageing studies. While x-ray and neutron diffraction clearly established electric-field induced structural transition from a monoclinic (Cc) to rhombohedral (R3c) structural transition, first principles calculation showed that the monoclinic phase is not stable and hence cannot be the ground state structure of NBT. Also, the possibility of the monoclinic features appearing in the x-ray diffraction solely due to micro structural effects by nano-sized domains was discussed. Comparison of electron diffraction of poled and unpoled samples of NBT showed that the in-phase tilted regions were greatly suppressed in the poled samples. Even HRTEM images showed that the unpoled samples had a very high concentration of strain heterogeneity in them, which was absent in the poled samples. This gave a direct evidence of correlation between observation of monoclinic phase and the presence of in-phase tilted regions in the unpoled samples. It was proposed that the strain caused by these in-phase tilted disorders caused distortion in the original rhombohedral lattice thereby making the structure appear monoclinic. Application of electric field causes the in-phase octahedral tilt disorders to vanish, thereby even the monoclinic features observed in the XRD also disappear. The fourth chapter discusses the consequences of poling on the high temperature phase transition behavior of NBT. We have used temperature dependent x-ray and neutron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and EXAFS analysis whose results were correlated with the anomalies observed in temperature dependent dielectric and polarization studies. We found that the poled sample shows a sharp anomaly at the depolarization temperature (Td) in all the characterization techniques used, in contrast to a diffuse or negligible effect seen in the unpoled sample. The depolarization temperature was found to be associated with introduction of structural disorder in the sample in the form of in-phase octahedral tilts. This also gave rise to a normal to relaxor ferroelectric transition at Td, and this relaxor behavior persisted even after cooling the sample to room temperature. An intermediate cubiclike phase was observed from x-ray diffraction at around 300C wherein the rhombohedral phase vanishes and the tetragonal phase begins to appear. Even single crystal study of NBT in the past showed sudden disappearance of the domains at 300C, even though they were visible at both above and below this temperature. This effect was called isotropization, and was postulated to arise due to extremely small domains which made the system isotropic. However, our neutron diffraction pattern showed that in-phase tilted superlattice reflections persisted at this temperature which meant that the structure was not truly cubic at this temperature. Further, a neutron diffraction study at higher temperatures showed that the in-phase tilted superlattice reflections persisted even above the cubic phase transition temperature, in corroboration with similar reports from high temperature electron diffraction. Chapter five deals with the BaTiO3 substituted NBT system, which has gained tremendous interest in the last decade as a viable piezoelectric ceramic for commercial applications. Though a large number of groups have already carried out exhaustive studies on this system, most of the work concentrated mainly on the MPB compositions which showed enhanced piezoelectric properties. In this chapter, we highlight some important findings in the pre-MPB and post-MPB compositions. Using room-temperature and high temperature x-ray diffraction, we show that there exists a subtle compositional phase boundary at x = 0.03, which disappears upon poling the sample. While the monoclinic phase in pure NBT becomes cubiclike at this composition, the depolarization temperature (Td) also slightly increases up to this composition and then decreases upon further Ba substitution. Similar studies were also carried out with compositions containing slightly excess bismuth in them (0.1 mol %), whose purpose was to negate the effects of Bi-vaporization during sintering. It was found that while the compositional phase boundary remained essentially unchanged, there was a decrease in Td for all the compositions. It was also realized that the addition of excess bismuth improved the overall piezoelectric property of the system. Studies on higher compositions of Ba in the post-MPB regions further revealed two additional compositional phase boundaries. A criticality in the coercive field and spontaneous tetragonal strain was observed at x = 0.2, which was found to be associated with crossover from a long-period modulated tetragonal phase (for x < 0.2) to a no modulated tetragonal phase (for x > 0.2). Near the BT rich end (x ~ 0.7), the system exhibits a crossover from normal to a diffuse/relaxor ferroelectric transition with increasing Na1/2Bi1/2 substitution. The onset of relaxor state by Na1/2Bi1/2 substitution on the Ba-site, was shown to increase the spontaneous tetragonal strain in the system. This was because of the enhancement in the covalent character of the A-O bond by virtue of the Bi+3 6s2 lone pair effect, and it also led to a sudden increase in the tetragonal-to-cubic transition temperature. This was in contrast to other chemical modifications of BT reported in the past (like Zr, Sn, Sr, etc.) where the relaxor state is accompanied by a weakening of the ferroelectric distortion and a decrease in the critical temperature. Finally, chapter six covers the effect of electric field induced phase transition in K1/2Bi1/2TiO3 substituted NBT. Visual observation showed that while the compositions (x < 0.2) behaved similar to pure NBT, wherein the structure became purely rhombohedral upon poling, the effect of electric field was negligible in the post-MPB compositions (x > 0.2). In addition, the peaks in the annealed samples were considerably overlapping which made identifying the structural transitions at the MPB compositions difficult using Rietveld analysis. However, comparison of the FWHM of the {200}pc peaks of compositions x < 0.2 showed that the FWHM began to increase suddenly for x > 0.15 indicating emergence of the tetragonal phase. Also, all the compositions showed an increase in the {200}pc peak FWHM by 0.03 after poling. The depolarization temperature showed only slight variation in the pre-MPB compositions, but showed a minimum at the MPB compositions. Temperature dependent dielectric studies further showed that for the post-MPB compositions, the system remains relaxor even after poling.

Piezoelectric materials find use as actuators and sensors in automotive, aerospace and other related industries. Automotive applications such as fuel injection nozzles and engine health monitoring systems require operating temperatures as high as 300-500 oC. The commercially used piezoelectric material PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) is limited to operating temperatures as low as 200 oC due to the temperature induced depolarization effects. PZT, in the undoped state exhibits a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 223 pC/N and ferroelectric-paraelectric transition temperature (Tc) of 386 oC. The enhanced properties of PZT occur at a region between the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases, called the Morphotropic Phase Boundary (MPB). Therefore, search for new materials with higher thermal stability and better sensing capabilities were focused on systems that exhibit a PZT-like MPB. This led to the discovery of (x)BiScO3-(1-x)PbTiO3 (BSPT), which exhibits an MPB with enhanced Tc (450 oC) and exceptionally high piezoelectric response (d33 = 460 pC/N). Theoretical studies have shown that the mechanism of enhanced piezoresponse in ferroelectric systems is related to the anisotropic flattening of the free energy profiles. An alternative view point attributes the anomalous piezoelectric response to the presence of high density of low energy domain walls near an inter-ferroelectric transition. Diffraction is a versatile tool to study the structural and microstructural changes of ferroelectric systems upon application of electric field. However, characterization of electric field induced structural and microstructural changes is not a trivial task, since in situ electric field dependent diffraction studies almost invariably give diffraction patterns laden with strong preferred orientation effects, due to the tendency of the ferroelectric/ferroelastic domains to align along the field direction. Additionally, diffraction profiles of MPB compositions exhibit severe overlap of Bragg peaks of the coexisting phases, and hence, it is difficult to ascertain with certainty, if the alteration in the intensity profiles upon application of electric field is due to change in phase fraction of the coexisting phases or due to preferred orientation induced in the different phases by the electric field. The characterization of electric field induced phase transformation in MPB systems, has therefore eluded researchers and has been considered of secondary importance, presumably due to the difficulties in unambiguously establishing the structural changes upon application of electric field. In fact, majority of the in situ electric field dependent diffraction studies have been carried out on compositions just outside the MPB range, i.e. on single phase compositions. In such studies, the focus has been mainly on explaining the piezoelectric response in terms of motions of the non-180° domain walls and field induced lattice strains. In this dissertation, the BSPT system has been systematically investigated with the view to understand the role of different contributing factors to the anomalous piezoelectric response of compositions close to the MPB. Using a comparative in situ electric field dependent diffraction study on a core MPB composition exhibiting highest piezoelectric response and a single phase monoclinic (pseudo-rhombohedral) composition just outside the MPB, it is demonstrated that, inspite of the significantly large domain switching and lattice strain (obtained from peak shifts) in the single phase composition, as compared to the MPB composition, the single phase composition shows considerably low piezoelectric response. This result clearly revealed that the anomalous piezoelectric response of the MPB composition is primarily associated with field induced inter-ferroelectric transformation and the corresponding field induced interphase boundary motion. A simple strategy has been employed to establish the field induced structural transformation for the MPB compositions, by overcoming the experimental limitation of in situ electric field dependent diffraction studies. The idea stemmed from the fact that, if the specimens for diffraction study can be used in powder form instead of pellet, the problems associated with preferred orientation effects can be eliminated, and the nature of field induced structural changes can be accurately determined. A comparative study of the diffraction profiles from poled (after subjecting the specimen to electric field) and unpoled (before subjecting the specimen to electric field) powders could precisely establish the nature of electric field induced phase transformation for the MPB compositions of BSPT and provided a direct correlation between the electric field induced structural changes and the enhanced piezoelectric response. A new ‘powder poling’ technique was devised, which involves application of electric field to powder form of the specimen. Using this technique, it was possible to study separately, the effect of stress and electric field on the nature of structural transformation. A unique outcome of this study was, it could demonstrate for the first time, analogous nature of the stress and electric field induced structural transformation. A comparative study of the dielectric response of poled and unpoled samples was used to show a counterintuitive phenomenon of field induced decrease in polarization coherence for the MPB compositions. This approach was used to suggest that the criticality associated with the MPB extends beyond the composition boundary conventionally reported in literature based on bulk diffraction techniques (x-ray and neutron powder diffraction). The layout of the dissertation is as follows: Chapter 1 gives a brief introduction of the fundamental concepts related to ferroelectric materials. The theories that explain the enhanced piezoresponse of MPB based ferroelectric systems have been outlined. Detailed information of the existing literature is presented in the relevant chapters. Chapter 2 presents the details of the solid state synthesis of BSPT compositions and structural analysis using diffraction studies. The dielectric measurements were used to establish the Tc for the different compositions. The enhanced ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were observed for the MPB compositions, which were shown to exhibit coexistence of tetragonal and monoclinic phases from structural studies. The critical MPB composition exhibiting highest piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties was established to be x = 0.3725. The thermal stability of the critical MPB composition was established to be 400 oC using ex situ thermal depolarization studies. The common approach of structural analysis in the unpoled state failed to provide a unique relationship between the anomalous piezoelectric response and the structural factors at the MPB, emphasizing the need to characterize these system using electric field dependent structural studies. Chapter 3 presents the results of in situ electric field dependent diffraction measurements carried out at Argonne National Laboratory, USA. The quasi-static field measurements could successfully quantify the non-180o domain switching fractions and the field induced lattice strains. The changes in the integrated intensities were used to obtain the non-180o domain switching fraction and the shift in peak positions were used to quantify the field induced lattice strains. The in situ studies could successfully explain the macroscopic strain response for the single phase pseudo-rhombohedral (monoclinic) composition on the basis of domain switching mechanisms and field induced lattice strains. The MPB compositions were shown to have additional contributions from interphase boundary motion, resulting from change in phase fraction of the coexisting phases. The results emphasized the need to investigate the electric field induced transformation for MPB compositions, in order to give a comprehensive picture of the various contributions to the macroscopic piezoreponse. While Rietveld analysis could be used to investigate the phase transformation behaviour upon application of electric field, textured diffraction profiles obtained using in situ studies, in addition to the severely overlapping Bragg reflections of the coexisting phases for the MPB compositions hindered reliable estimation of the structural parameters. An alternate approach to investigate the field induced phase transformation is presented in Chapter 4. The stroboscopic measurements on the MPB composition showed evidence of non-180o domain wall motion even at sub-coercive field amplitudes as low as 0.1 kV/mm. Chapter 4 presents the results of the ex situ electric field dependent structural study, wherein the diffraction profiles collected from poled powders is compared to that of unpoled powders. The diffraction profiles from the poled powders did not exhibit any field induced crystallographic texture and could successfully be analyzed using Rietveld analysis. High resolution synchrotron diffraction studies (ESRF, France) carried out on closely spaced compositions revealed that, the composition exhibiting the highest piezoelectric response is the one, which exhibits significantly enhanced lattice polarizability of both the coexisting (monoclinic and tetragonal) phases. The enhanced lattice polarizability manifests as significant fraction of the monoclinic phase transforming irreversibly to the tetragonal phase after electric poling. The monoclinic to tetragonal transformation suggested the existence of a low energy polarization rotation pathway towards the [001]pc direction in the (1 1 0)pc pseudocubic plane of the monoclinic phase. The results are discussed on the basis of the existing theories that explain piezoresponse in MPB systems and are in support of the Polarization rotation model, in favor of a genuine monoclinic phase. Chapter 5 discusses the ferroelectric-ferroelectric stability of the MPB compositions in response to externally applied stress and electric field independently. Using the newly developed ‘powder poling’ technique, which is based on the concept of exploiting the irreversible structural changes that occur after application of electric field and stress independently, it was possible to ascertain that, both moderate stress and electric field induce identical structural transformation - a fraction of the monoclinic phase transforms irreversibly to the tetragonal phase. The powder poling technique was also used to demonstrate field induced inter-ferroelectric transformation at sub-coercive field amplitudes. In addition, the analysis of the dielectric response before and after poling revealed a counterintuitive phenomenon of poling induced decrease in the spatial coherence of polarization for compositions around the MPB and not so for compositions far away from the MPB range. Exploiting the greater sensitivity of this technique, it was demonstrated that, the criticality associated with the inter-ferroelectric transition spans a wider composition range than what is conventionally reported in the literature based on bulk x-ray/neutron powder diffraction techniques. Chapter 6 presents the closure and important conclusions from the present work and summarizes the key results, highlighting the proposed mechanism of enhanced piezoresponse in BSPT. The last part of the chapter deals with suggestions for future work from the ideas evolved in the present study. vi

Die Arbeit behandelt die vielseitigen Möglichkeiten im Bereich der Kristallstrukturanalyse mit Röntgenstrahlung, welche sich zusätzlich bei resonanter Anregung von Elektronenübergängen ergeben. Existierende resonante Methoden aus diesem Bereich werden im materialwissenschaftlichen Kontext neu dargelegt und ausgebaut. Zudem werden neue Methoden zur Strukturverfeinerung vorgestellt, welche darauf zielen, mithilfe resonanter Anregung kleine Abweichungen von der Idealstruktur oder aber Phasenumwandlungen zu beschreiben. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die hier erstmals ausgearbeitete Methode der Unterdrückung von Beugungsintensität durch Variation der atomaren Streufaktoren über gezieltes Einstellen der Röntgenenergie. Dies ist stark abhängig von internen Strukturparametern und ermöglichte so eine pikometergenaue Bestimmung von Atompositionen in einer neuen, polaren Oberflächenschicht des Strontiumtitanats. Weitere Anwendungen auf verschiedene Klassen kristalliner Materialien werden vorgestellt und basieren auf unterschiedlichen Aspekten resonanter Beugung wie zum Beispiel verbotenen Reflexen.

Les filtres céramiques représentent une solution efficace pour capturer et retenir les particules carbonées émises par les moteurs automobiles Diesel. En cas de choc thermique dû à une régénération sévère, la résistance thermomécanique de ces filtres est primordiale pour assurer une bonne efficacité de filtration pendant toute la durée de vie du véhicule. Pour cette raison, la conception de filtres à particules Diesel à base de titanate d'aluminium est une innovation prometteuse au sein de la gamme du groupe Saint-Gobain. A température ambiante comme à haute température, les caractérisations des comportements mécaniques et à la propagation de fissure du titanate d'aluminium sont les objectifs principaux de ces travaux de thèse. Basée sur différents essais mécaniques analysés par corrélation d'images 2D et 3D, une méthodologie d'identification est ainsi développée et appliquée sur la céramique à base de titanate d'aluminium pour les filtres à particules. Tout d'abord, des essais de flexion effectués à température ambiante mettent en évidence le comportement endommageable de cette céramique microfissurée fortement poreuse. Des fonctions de forme spécifiques à la flexion quatre points sont construites pour mesurer, par corrélation d'images 2D, la cinématique globale et la position de l'axe neutre. Une loi d'endommagement est identifiée pour représenter la dissymétrie entre les comportements en traction et en compression. Cette approche d'identification est appliquée à haute température, où le comportement mécanique du matériau est non-linéaire en raison du réseau de microfissures et de la viscosité de la phase secondaire. Une seconde approche de corrélation d'images 2D, basée sur les séries de Williams, est appliquée pour analyser des essais de flexion entaillée et étudie la fissuration quasi-fragile du matériau à température ambiante. Les différents modes d'endommagement sont quantifiés énergétiquement à travers l'application d'une méthode de corrélation d'images, basée sur la méthode de l'écart à l'équilibre. A haute température, la propagation de fissure apparaît également comme quasi-fragile, entre autres en raison d'importants mécanismes de renforcements vers 800°C. Parallèlement, l'essai de double-torsion est analysé car il permet de contrôler la propagation de fissures sur de longues distances. Un prototype est conçu pour réaliser des essais in situ dans un tomographe. Par corrélation d'images 3D, l'évolution du front curviligne de la fissure est observée dans l'épaisseur du matériau. Avec une simulation X-FEM, la répartition des facteurs d'intensité des contraintes le long du front de fissure est calculée pour en expliquer sa propagation. Ces travaux ont permis de caractériser les fortes déformabilité et résistance à la propagation de fissure du matériau à haute température. Ces propriétés jouent un rôle clef dans la résistance thermomécanique des filtres à particules Diesel à base de titanate d'aluminium. / Ceramic filters are an efficient solution to capture and retain the carbon particulates that are emitted by Diesel engines. In case of thermal shock due to a severe regeneration, the thermomechanical resistance of these filters is essential to ensure high filtration efficiency during the whole life time of the vehicle. For this reason, the conception of filters made of aluminium titanate is a promising innovation for the group Saint-Gobain. The main objective of this thesis is the characterization of mechanical and fracture behaviours, at both room and high temperature. To reach these goals, integrated techniques of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) present a strong potential to measure displacement fields, analyze tests and identify mechanical properties. Based on different mechanical tests analyzed by 2D and 3D-DIC, an identification methodology is developed and applied on the porous ceramic made of aluminium titanate for Diesel particulate filters. First, bending tests at room temperature highlight the damageable behaviour of this microcracked ceramic. Some specific basis functions for bending tests are built to measure by 2D-DIC the global kinematics and the neutral axis position. A damage law is identified to describe the asymmetry between behaviours in tension and compression. This identification approach is also applied at high temperature, where the mechanical behaviour is non-linear because of the microcracks and the silicate secondary phase. A second approach of 2D-DIC, based on the Williams series, is applied to analyze notched bending tests and to identify the parameters governing the quasi-brittle fracture of the material at room temperature. The energies dissipated by the different damage modes are quantified thanks to a third 2D-DIC method based on the equilibrium gap method. At high temperature, the behaviour is also non-brittle, because of numerous toughening mechanisms near 800°C, among others reasons The double-torsion test is also analyzed since it enables to control the propagation of long cracks for thin and brittle specimens. A prototype is built to perform in situ tests analyzed by tomography X. Using 3D-DIC, it is possible to observe the evolution of the curvilinear crack front in the specimen thickness. Thanks to a X-FEM simulation, the stress intensity factors are calculated along the crack front to explain its propagation. These works have highlighted the important deformability and crack propagation resistance of this material at high temperature. These two properties might be the main reasons for the high thermomechanical resistance of Diesel particulate filters made of aluminium titanate. The identified laws at high temperature can be used for numerical simulations of filters during severe regenerations. More generally, techniques used in these works present a strong interest for the development of new ceramics made of aluminium titanate for filtration applications.

Structural studies with CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) are made since the 1970s, however investigations about their electrical properties only started recently. At 2000, it was reported a high permittivity of ~ 12000 (at 1 KHz) in ceramics of this material which remained constant between the room temperature to ~ 200 °C, and whose physical explanations be still controversial in the scientific society. High dielectric constants allow smaller capacitive components, enabling the size reduction of the electronic devices. In this way, CCTO has attracted the interest of many researchers as technological as scientific point of view. One of the main problem that limit its immediate application as dielectric in ceramic capacitors is its high dielectric loss (~ 0,15) near at room temperature. On the other hand, this material has been prepared by several researchers mainly by the solid state reaction method, in the temperature range of 1000 °C to 1050 °C, with thermal treatment up to 48 h. As result, some secondary phases have be found as in the calcined powders as in the sintered ceramics. Thus, other synthesis methods have been proposed and tested in the last years. In this work, we have studied the CCTO synthesis by a route based on Pechini s method and its sintering using a new method, in which a CO2 laser is used as the main heating source. Besides, the dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics were investigated in order to verify the influence of this sintering process on the ceramic properties as well as onto the understanding of the involved physical mechanisms. The laser sintered ceramics presented high relative density (95 ± 1%), with homogeneous microstructure and dielectric constant at about 2000 with low dielectric loss (0,06) at 1 kHz, when sintered at 1,3 W/mm2. The dielectric loss value obtained in this work is among the lowest ever recorded. Based on our results was also proposed a mechanism to aid in the understanding of the giant dielectric constant in CCTO. Finally, we believe that laser sintering can be an important tool for the optimization of the dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics and consequently future applications in the capacitors and electronic devices industry, whose worldwide consumption is increasing. / Estudos estruturais com o CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) são feitos desde os anos 1970, contudo investigações acerca de suas propriedades elétricas somente se iniciaram recentemente. Em 2000, foi reportado uma alta permissividade de ~ 12000 (a 1 kHz) em cerâmicas deste material, que permanecia constante da temperatura ambiente a ~ 200 °C, cujas explicações físicas ainda são bem controversas na comunidade científica. Constantes dielétricas altas permitem menores componentes capacitivos, oferecendo assim a oportunidade de diminuir o tamanho de dispositivos eletrônicos. Desta forma, o CCTO tem atraído muito o interesse de pesquisadores, tanto do ponto de vista tecnológico quanto científico. Um dos principais problemas que limitam sua imediata aplicação como dielétrico em capacitores cerâmicos é a sua alta perda dielétrica (~ 0,15) próximo à temperatura ambiente. Por outro lado, este material tem sido preparado por diversos pesquisadores principalmente pelo método da reação de estado sólido, no intervalo de temperatura de 1000 °C a 1100 °C, com tratamentos térmicos de até 48 h. Como resultado, algumas fases secundárias têm sido encontradas tanto no pó calcinado quanto na cerâmica sinterizada. Dessa forma, outros métodos de síntese vêm sendo procurados e testados nos últimos anos. Neste trabalho, estudamos a síntese do CCTO por uma rota baseada no método Pechini e sua sinterização usando um novo método, no qual um laser de CO2 é usado como principal fonte de aquecimento. Além disso, estudamos as propriedades dielétricas das cerâmicas de CCTO, a fim de verificar a influência deste novo processo de sinterização em suas propriedades bem como no entendimento dos mecanismos físicos envolvidos. As cerâmicas sinterizadas a laser apresentaram alta densidade relativa (95 ± 1%), com microestrutura homogênea e constante dielétrica em torno de 2000 e baixa perda dielétrica (0,06) a 1 kHz, quando sinterizadas a 1,3 W/mm2. O valor de perda dielétrica obtida neste trabalho está entre os mais baixos já registrados. Baseando-se em nossos resultados também foi proposto um mecanismo para auxiliar no entendimento da constante dielétrica gigante no CCTO. Finalmente, acreditamos que a sinterização a laser pode ser uma importante ferramenta para a otimização das propriedades dielétricas de cerâmicas de CCTO e consequentemente futuras aplicações na indústria de capacitores e dispositivos eletrônicos, cujo consumo mundial é cada vez maior.

This work is focused on Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations of oxygen vacancy diffusion barriers in mixed perovskite lead zirconate titanate and its pure counterparts. We found out that barrier heights are different in lead titanate and lead zirconate caused by the different localization of the excess electrons due to the oxygen vacancy formation. Diffusion barriers were also determined for titanium-rich mixed phases and compared to experimental values. This work contributes to clarify unusually low experimentally measured diffusion coefficients in PZT. We found out that the induced vacancy states are forming localized bonds to the lead atoms which causes the oxygen vacancies to become immobile due to the increase of the activation energy of the diffusion process.

Polymer and composite polymer-ceramic nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning process. Solution of 20 wt.% polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and acetone in the ratio of 7:3 was chosen as the most suitable precursor. When preparing composite nanofibers, 20 wt.% of barium calcium zirconate titanate (BCZT) or barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles was added to this PVDF solution. Given parameters were defined as the most suitable for the process of electrospinning: voltage of 50 kV, feeding rate of 30 l/min, distance between emitter and collector of 20 cm and needle diameter of 17 G. The effect of polymer molecular weight and the rotation speed of collector was also studied. Various properties of prepared samples were studied: morphology and fiber diameter, phase composition with the use of x-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and also chosen electrical properties. Lower fiber diameters appeared with lower polymer molecular weight and higher rotation speed of the collector. These parameters resulted in higher percentage of the piezoelectric phase as well. The smallest achieved fiber diameter was around 300 nm, the highest percentage of phase was 92 % and the highest piezoelectric constant had a value of 16 pC/N. Composite fibers filled with BT particles showed better properties that the ones filled with BCZT particles.

Die Arbeit behandelt die vielseitigen Möglichkeiten im Bereich der Kristallstrukturanalyse mit Röntgenstrahlung, welche sich zusätzlich bei resonanter Anregung von Elektronenübergängen ergeben. Existierende resonante Methoden aus diesem Bereich werden im materialwissenschaftlichen Kontext neu dargelegt und ausgebaut. Zudem werden neue Methoden zur Strukturverfeinerung vorgestellt, welche darauf zielen, mithilfe resonanter Anregung kleine Abweichungen von der Idealstruktur oder aber Phasenumwandlungen zu beschreiben. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die hier erstmals ausgearbeitete Methode der Unterdrückung von Beugungsintensität durch Variation der atomaren Streufaktoren über gezieltes Einstellen der Röntgenenergie. Dies ist stark abhängig von internen Strukturparametern und ermöglichte so eine pikometergenaue Bestimmung von Atompositionen in einer neuen, polaren Oberflächenschicht des Strontiumtitanats. Weitere Anwendungen auf verschiedene Klassen kristalliner Materialien werden vorgestellt und basieren auf unterschiedlichen Aspekten resonanter Beugung wie zum Beispiel verbotenen Reflexen.

Le caoutchouc naturel (NR) et le caoutchouc époxydé (ENR) ont constitué la base de cette étude consacrée à l’étude des composites et mélanges de polymères. La présence du groupe époxyde a conduit à une amélioration des propriétés mécaniques de ces formulations en termes de module et de la résistance à la traction. De plus, l’utilisation de la spectroscopie diélectrique a révélé que les ENRs présentent une conductivité plus élevée que le NR à basse fréquence et à haute température. En particulier, le caoutchouc naturel époxidé contenant 50 mol% de groupes époxyde ENR-50 présente des conductivités et permittivités les plus élevées. Par conséquent, ce dernier a été choisi pour préparer des composites polymères en incorporant des particules de titanate de barium (BT) et de noir de carbone (CB). Les résultats montrent que la permittivité et conductivité des composites élaborés augmentent avec le taux d'incorporation de ces charges. Par exemple, les composites BT/ENR-50 atteignent une permittivité élevée 48.7 pour 50 vol% de BT. De plus, les composites CB/ENR-50 présentent un seuil de percolation de 6.3 vol% de CB. Enfin les mélanges à base de poly(fluorure de vinylidène) (PVDF) et d’ENR ont été étudiés. Il a été observé que la morphologie de ces mélanges dépend du degré d’époxydation du caoutchouc naturel et bien entendu de la composition du mélange. Une morphologie co-continue peut être observée dans l’intervalle 40 et 60% en masse d’ENR-50. En outre, les résultats issus d’analyses dynamiques mécanique et diélectrique montrent que ces mélanges présentent une miscibilité partielle. Enfin, des composites à base de ces mélanges binaires PVDF/ENR- 50 contenant BT ont été préparés. L’étude des morphologies a révélé que les particules de BT étaient dispersées dans la phase d’ENR-50 pour le mélange classique. Cependant, les particules de BT sont localisées à l'interface et dans la phase PVDF pour le mélange réticulé dynamiquement. En termes de propriétés, la permittivité plus élevée est obtenue pour le mélange PVDF/ENR 50 (80/20) ayant été réticulé dynamiquement / Natural rubber (NR) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were chosen to study the composites and blends of polymers. The presence of epoxide group caused to improve the mechanical properties in terms of modulus and tensile strength. Furthermore, dielectric spectroscopy revealed that ENR showed conductivity process at low frequency and high temperature. Epoxidized natural rubber containing 50 mol% of epoxide group or ENR-50 exhibited the highest dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity. Therefore, ENR-50 was then selected to prepare polymer composite filled with barium titanate (BT) and carbon black (CB) particles. The permittivity and conductivity of the composites increased with the volume content of the fillers. The BT/ENR-50 composites reached a high permittivity of 4 8 . 7 for addition of 50 vol% BT. Meanwhile, CB/ENR-50 composite reached percolation threshold at 6. 3 vol% of CB. The phase development and miscibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/epoxidixed natural rubber (ENR) blends were then investigated. It was also found that phase structure depended on epoxidation level and blend compositions. The blend exhibited a co-continuous phase morphology in the region of 40 to 60 wt% of ENR-50. Furthermore, the results from dynamic mechanical and dielectric analysis revealed that these blends present a partial miscibility. Finally, the composites based on binary blends of PVDF/ENR-50 containing BT were prepared. The study of the morphologies revealed that BT was dispersed in ENR-50 phase in the case of simple blend. However, the addition of BT after dynamic vulcanization induced localization of BT in PVDF phase and at interface. The highest increment of permittivity can be observed for the composite based on dynamically cured PVDF/ENR-50 (80/20) blend / ศึกษาอิทธิพลของโครงสร้างโมกุลยางธรรมชาติ (NR) และยางธรรมชาติอิพอกไซด์ (ENR) ต่อสมบัติ พบว่าการมีหมู่อิพอกไซด์อยู่ในยาง ENR ทำให้มีการปรับปรุงสมบัติเชิงกล เช่น มอดุลัสและความต้านทานต่อแรงดึง นอกจากนี้สมบัติไดอิเล็กทริกได้แสดงให้เห็นถึงการนำ ไฟฟ้าที่ความถี่ต่ำและอุณหภูมิสูง ยางที่มีหมู่อิพอกไซด์ 50 โมล% (ENR-50) มีค่าการนำไฟฟ้า และค่า permittivity สูงที่สุด ดังนั้นจึงนำยาง ENR-50 ไปใช้ในการเตรียมคอมพอสิตที่ใช้แบเรียม ไททาเนตและเขม่าดำเป็นตัวเติม ซึ่งพบว่าค่า permittivity และค่าการนำไฟฟ้าสูงขึ้นตาม ปริมาณตัวเติมที่ใส่ลงไป ที่ปริมาณ 50%โดยปริมาตรของแบเรียมไททาเนตในยางให้ค่า permittivity สูงถึง 48.7 ในขณะเดียวกันก็พบว่าการเตรียม ENR-50 คอมพอสิตที่ใช้เขม่าดำมี percolation threshold ที่ 6.3 vol% ของเขม่าดำ สำหรับการศึกษาการเปลี่ยนแปลงของสัณฐาน วิทยาและความเข้ากันได้ของพอลิเมอร์เบลนด์ระหว่างพอลิไวนิลลิดีนฟลูออไรด์ (PVDF) กับยาง ENR พบว่า สัณฐานวิทยาของพอลิเมอร์ที่เตรียมได้ขึ้นอยู่กับปริมาณหมู่อิพอกไซด์ในยาง ENR และอัตราส่วนการเบลนด์ อัตราส่วนการเบลนด์ในช่วง 40 ถึง 60% โดยน้ำหนักของยาง ENR- 50 ให้ลักษณะสัณฐานวิทยาแบบวัฏภาคร่วม (co-continuous) นอกจากนี้ผลการทดสอบจาก สมบัติพลวัตเชิงกลและสมบัติไดอิเล็กทริกแสดงให้เห็นถึงความเข้ากันได้บางส่วน (partial miscibility) ท้ายที่สุดนี้ได้เตรียมคอมพอสิตจากพอลิเมอร์เบลนด์ที่เติมแบเรียมไททาเนต สัณฐานวิทยาของคอมโพสิทที่เตรียมได้นั้น พบว่าแบเรียมไททาเนตกระจายตัวในเฟสยางเป็น หลัก อย่างไรก็ตามการเติมแบเรียมไททาเนตหลังจากการวัลคาไนซ์แบบไดนามิกส์ทำให้ แบเรียมไททาเนตกระจายตัวในเฟสพอลิไวนิลลิดีนฟลูออไรด์ (PVDF) และที่ผิวประจัญ (interface) นอกจากนี้คอมพอสิตที่เตรียมจากเทอร์โมพลาสติกวัลคาไนซ์ของ PVDF/ENR 50 ที่ อัตราส่วนการเบลนด์ที่ 80/20 ให้ค่า permittivity ที่สูง