Lead Zirconate Titanate - PbZrTiO3 Powder

Lead zirconate titanate is an intermetallic inorganic compound with the chemical formula Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3 (0≤x≤1). Also called PZT, it is a ceramic perovskite material that shows a marked piezoelectric effect, meaning that the compound is used in a number of practical applications in the area of electroceramics. PZT is a white solid that is insoluble in all solvents.

Being pyroelectric, this material develops a voltage difference across two of its faces under changing temperature conditions; consequently, PZT can be used as a heat sensor. PZT is also ferroelectric, which means it has a spontaneous electric polarization (electric dipole) that can be reversed in the presence of an electric field.

The material features an extremely large dielectric constant at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) near x = 0.52. 

Some formulations are ohmic until at least 250 kV/cm (25 MV/m), after which current grows exponentially with field strength before reaching avalanche breakdown; but PZT exhibits time-dependent dielectric breakdown — breakdown may occur under constant-voltage stress after minutes to hours, depending on voltage and temperature, so its dielectric strength depends on the time scale over which it is measured.Other formulations have dielectric strengths measured in the 8–16 MV/m range.