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Influence of Yb2O3 doping on microstructural and electrical properties of ZnO-Bi2O3-based varistor ceramics

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Abstract

ZnO-Bi2O3-based varistor ceramics doped with Yb2O3 in the range from 0 to 0.4% (molar fraction) were obtained by a solid reaction route. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to characterize the phases and microstructure of the varistor ceramics, and a DC parameter instrument for varistor ceramics was applied to investigate their electrical properties and V–I characteristics. The XRD analysis of the samples shows that the ZnO phase, Bi2O3 phase, Zn7Sb2O12-type spinel phase and Zn2Bi3Sb3O14-type pyrochlore are present, and the Yb2O3 phases and Sb2O4 phases are found in varistor ceramics with increasing amounts of Yb2O3. The average size of ZnO grain firstly increases and then decreases with the increase of Yb2O3 content. The result also shows that the threshold voltage is between 656 V/mm and 1 232 V/mm, the nonlinear coefficient is in the range of 14.1–22.3, and the leakage current is between 0.60 μA and 19.6 μA. The 0.20% Yb2O3-added ZnO-Bi2O3-based varistor ceramics sintered at 900 °C have the best electrical characteristics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology (College of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University), Chongqing, 400044, China

    Dong Xu  (徐东), Dong-mei Tang  (唐冬梅), Lei Jiao  (焦雷), Guo-ping Zhao  (赵国平) & Xiao-nong Cheng  (程晓农)

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Dong Xu  (徐东)

  3. Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Beijing, 100083, China

    Dong Xu  (徐东)

  4. State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment (Xi’an Jiaotong University), Xi’an, 710049, China

    Dong Xu  (徐东)

  5. Changzhou Engineering Research Institute of Jiangsu University, Changzhou, 213000, China

    Dong-mei Tang  (唐冬梅) & Xiao-nong Cheng  (程晓农)

  6. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramic and Fine Processing (Tsinghua University), Beijing, 100083, China

    Yuan-hua Lin  (林元华)

Authors
  1. Dong Xu  (徐东)
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  2. Dong-mei Tang  (唐冬梅)
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  3. Yuan-hua Lin  (林元华)
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  4. Lei Jiao  (焦雷)
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  5. Guo-ping Zhao  (赵国平)
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  6. Xiao-nong Cheng  (程晓农)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dong Xu  (徐东).

Additional information

Foundation item: Project(BK2011243) supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China; Project(2007DA10512711408) supported by the Visiting Scholarship of State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology (Chongqing University), China; Project(EIPE11204) supported by the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, China; Project(KF201104) supported by the State Key Laboratory of New Ceramic and Fine Processing, China; Project(KFJJ201105) supported by the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, China; Project(10KJD430002) supported by the Universities Natural Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province, China; Project(11JDG084) supported by the Research Foundation of Jiangsu University, China

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Xu, D., Tang, Dm., Lin, Yh. et al. Influence of Yb2O3 doping on microstructural and electrical properties of ZnO-Bi2O3-based varistor ceramics. J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. 19, 1497–1502 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-012-1167-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-012-1167-2

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