Effect of Zr4+ Doping on the Electrical Properties of BaTiO3 Ceramics

The BaZrxTi1-xO3 for 0 <= x <= 15 ceramics were prepared by a conventional solid state reaction method and were determined by an X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for crystallographic, surface morphological and compositional studies. A single phase with perovskite structure was identified in the samples at room temperature. No significant impurities were detected in an EDS spectrum and the samples are in good stoichiometric ratio. The temperature dependence of electric conductivity was evaluated in the temperature range from 300 to 550 K for a selected frequency by a HP4284 LCR meter. The activation energy was calculated from the Arrhenius plots.