The microstructure, electrical properties, and density of Dy2O3-doped ZnO-based varistor ceramics, prepared using high-energy ball milling （HEBM） and sintered at 800℃, were investigated by increasing the cooling rate in the order of H （slow cooling in furnace） → L （cooling in furnace） → K （cooling in air）. With the increase in cooling rate, the grain size and density decreased, the breakdown voltage （VImA/mm） increased, and the nonlinear coefficient （α） and leakage current （IL） exhibited extremum. The sample with the cooling type L showed the best properties with the breakdown voltage of 2650 V/ram, o：of 20.3, IL of 5.2 laA, and density of 5.42 g/cm^3. The barrier height （ФB）, donor concentration （Nd）, density of the interface states （Nd）, and barrier width （ω） all exhibited extremum during the alteration in cooling rate. The different relative amount of Bi-rich phase and its distribution as well as the characteristic parameters of grain boundary, resulting from the alteration of cooling rate, led to the changes in the properties of varistor ceramics.
LIU HongyuKONG HuiJIANG DongmeiSHI WangzhouMA XuemingZHANG Huining
The microstructure, electrical properties and density of ZnO-based varistor ceramics with different Er2O3 content prepared by high-energy ball milling （HEBM） and sintered at 800℃ were investigated. With increasing Er2O3 content, the ZnO grain size decreases due to the Er-rich phases inhibiting grain growth ; and nonlinear coefficient （ α ） decreases because of the decrease of barrier height （φB） The breakdown voltage （Eb） and density increase, whereas leakage current （IL） decreases with increasing Er2O3 content. The barrier height （φB）, donor concentration （Nd）, density of interface states （Ns） decrease and barrier width （ω） increases with increasing Er2O3 content due to acceptor effect of Er2O3 in varistor ceramics.
The structural evolution of Fe-doped TiO2 by high-energy ball milling was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Mǒssbauer spectroscopy, The results show that the original anatase-TiO2 transforms to srilankite-type and rutile-type during ball milling. Iron atoms are preferable to dissolve in rutile-TiO2 and there are two relative doublets appearing in Mǒssbauer spectra. A doublet is found in the condition of Fe atoms dissolved in srilankite TiO2 lattice. Mǒssbauer spectra show that the composition distribution is nonuniform in TiO2 during the mechanical alloying with Fe atoms rich at the interface or surface of TiO2 crystalline.
