NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROURKELA

MID - SEMESTER EXAMINATION, 2016

SESSION: 2016 – 2017 (Autumn)
M.Tech. 1st Semester

Course Code: CR-641 Course Name: Ceramics in Energy Sector Dept. Code: CR
No. of pages: 02 Full Marks: 60 Duration: 2 Hours

Answer all Questions

Figures at the right hand margin indicate marks
All parts of a question should be answered to the point at one place
Q. No Marks
1. i) If the dielectric constant of pure fully dense Al2O3 is 10, what will be the value of 10x3
dielectric constant of the composite when 4vol% glassy phase of dielectric constant
7 and 1 vol% porosity is intentionally created in the latter?
ii) Calculate the density and packing efficiency of perovskite CaTiO3, where all
the unit cell dimensions are 3.98Ǻ. The following data is given: MCa =40.07 amu ,
rCa2+ =1.14 Ǻ, Mo = 16 amu, rO2- = 1.40 Ǻ, MTi = 47.88 amu, rTi4+ =0.68 Ǻ, 1 amu=
1.66x10-27 kg.
iii) What are the different materials properties that affect the dielectric breakdown
strength of ceramics?
iv) What is high power capacitor? Name two ceramic materials useful for this
application.
v) What is poling? Why poling process is important for piezoelectric ceramics?
vi) What are the major drawbacks of synthesizing PZT based sintered material and
how is it tackled?
vii) Suggest the measures which should be taken during the fabrication of a high
tension ceramic insulator for reducing the RI (interference to radio and television
reception) and „flash over‟ in high voltage insulation.
viii) What is the effective dielectric constant of a barrier layer capacitor of size 2 x
2 x 1 mm3, when the actual dielectric constant of the material is 2000 and the grain
and grain boundary sizes are 50 and 0.2m respectively?
ix) Which fabrication techniques are suited for making 25 cm long tube of alumina
and 100 micron sheet of YSZ?
Cont…
1
 x) A cylindrical piezoelectric sample (diameter 15 mm and thickness 1 mm) has
resonance and antiresonance frequency of 400, 450 kHz respectively; Resistance at
resonance and relative permittivity (at 1kHz) were 100 Ω and 640, respectively.
Calculate the mechanical quality factor (QM).
2. a) BaTiO3 shows almost 500% change in permittivity around 100oC. Discuss 4+3+4+4
o
necessary measure to reduce it to 15% over room temperature to 100 C.
b) BaTiO3–based composition is preferred in multilayer ceramic capacitor
(MLCC). It required sintering temperature more than 1300oC. Suggests
modification in the composition so that Gold (Au) or Ag/Pd can be used as internal
electrode in manufacturing of MLCC.
c) Discuss the effect of microstructure on the permittivity of bulk polycrystalline
BaTiO3?
d) Why piezoceramic-polymer composites are preferred in energy harvesting
devices and SONAR devices?
3. a) A disc capacitor of thickness 1.0mm carries circular electrodes of diameter 5 4+3+2+6
mm. The real and imaginary parts of the relative permittivity of the dielectric are
2000 and 60 respectively. Calculate the capacitance and the power dissipated in the
dielectric when a sinusoidal voltage of amplitude 50V and frequency 1MHz is
applied to the capacitor.
b) “About 0.5 mol% MnO2 is frequently added to all classes of dielectrics to
control the dielectric loss”- Explain.
c) Write the name of two piezoelectric materials which are not ferroelectric.
d) Propose the composition of PZT material for the following application of
piezoelectric material with explanation i) Actuator ii) High power ultrasonicator.
Paper Setter: Prof. R. Mazumder (CR)