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Effects of SiO2 and B2O3 on electrical properties of low-temperature sintered ZnO–Bi2O3 varistors

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Abstract

This study utilized a conventional solid-state reaction method to prepare ZnO–Bi2O3–Sb2O3–Co3O4–Mn3O4–Nb2O5 varistors sintered at low temperatures of 860 °C–880 °C. The effects of the different amounts of SiO2 and SiO2-B2O3 co-doping on the microstructure and varistor properties were investigated. The nonlinearity coefficient (α) increased from 51 for the sample without adding SiO2 to 66 for the sample with 1.0wt% SiO2, and the breakdown voltage increased from 834 to 1260 V/mm. However, with excess SiO2 addition, the α value gradually decreased from 66 for the sample with 1 wt% SiO2 to 52 for the sample with 2.0 wt% SiO2, while the breakdown voltage continued to increase. Co-doping SiO2–B2O3 improves liquid phase sintering due to the relatively low melting point of SiO2–B2O3–Bi2O3 additives. The α value increased from 66 for the sample without adding B2O3 to 83 for the sample with 2.0 wt% B2O3, while the breakdown voltage decreased from 1260 to 1120 V/mm. In comparison to higher temperature alternatives, the lower sintering temperatures (860 °C–880 °C) used in this study result in lower energy consumption during the manufacturing process. Because of their favorable cost-energy efficiency ratio, the SiO2–B2O3 co-doped ZnO–Bi2O3 varistors emerge as promising candidates for large-scale production.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan [112-2221-E-006 -063 -MY3]. The authors gratefully acknowledge using the Core Facility Center, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

Funding

National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan [112-2221-E-006 -063 -MY3].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hierarchical Green-Energy Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Yu-Min Shen

  2. Department of Resources Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Mu-Chien Len & Hsing-I Hsiang

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  1. Yu-Min Shen
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  3. Hsing-I Hsiang
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Contributions

Conceptualization, H-IH and Y-MS; methodology, M-CL; validation, H-IH, and M-CL; formal analysis, M-CL; investigation, M-CL; resources, H-IH; data curation, M-CL; writing—original draft preparation, H-IH; writing—review and editing, H-IH and Y-MS; visualization, H-IH; supervision, H-IH and Y-MS; project administration, H-IH; funding acquisition, H-IH and Y-MS. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hsing-I Hsiang.

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Shen, YM., Len, MC. & Hsiang, HI. Effects of SiO2 and B2O3 on electrical properties of low-temperature sintered ZnO–Bi2O3 varistors. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 35, 92 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-11800-0

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