Ceramic material, method for producing the ceramic material, and electroceramic component comprising the ceramic material

1. A ceramic material, comprising lead zirconate titanate, which additionally contains Nd, K and Cu,

having a composition according to the following formula:

Pb 1−(3x/2)−a−p Nd x K 2a Cu 2p V Pb(x/2)−a−p (Zr 1−y Ti y )O 3 ,

within the limits 0.0001≦x ≦0.06, 0.0001≦a ≦0.03, 0.35≦y ≦0.60 and 0<p <((x/2)−a), in which V Pb represents a lead vacancy.

2. The ceramic material according to claim 1 , in which the lead zirconate titanate has the general composition ABO 3 of a perovskite lattice, wherein A represents the A sites and B represents the B sites of the perovskite lattice and Nd, K and optionally Cu occupy A sites in the perovskite lattice.

3. An electroceramic component comprising a ceramic material according to claim 1 or 2 .

4. The electroceramic component according to claim 3 , in the form of a piezoelectric actuator.

5. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 4 , comprising at least two layers comprising the ceramic material and an inner electrode, preferably a Cu inner electrode, between these layers.

6. A method for producing a ceramic material according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

A1) producing a ceramic raw material mixture by comminuting and mixing starting materials containing Pb, Zr, Ti, Nd and oxygen;

B1) introducing a K-containing compound and optionally introducing Cu or a Cu-containing compound;

C1) calcining the raw material mixture; and

D1) sintering to form the ceramic.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein an additional method step A11), in which the ceramic raw material mixture is calcined and then comminuted, is carried out after method step A1) and before method step B1).

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein Nd is added in a range of from 0.01 to 6 mol %.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a K-containing compound and optionally Cu or a Cu-containing compound are introduced before the calcining in method step C1).

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a K-containing compound and optionally Cu or a Cu-containing compound are introduced after the calcining in method step C1).

11. The method according to claim 6 , wherein an additional method step C11), in which the calcined ceramic raw material mixture is comminuted and mixed with up to 1.5 mol % PbO and optionally Cu 2 O, is carried out after method step C1) and before method step D1).

12. The method according to claim 6 , wherein Cu is introduced in method step D1).

13. The method according to claim 6 , wherein K and optionally Cu are added in a range of from 0.01 to 6 mol %.

14. The method according to claim 6 , wherein, before method step D1), ceramic green sheets are formed from the ceramic raw material mixture comprising a binder.

15. A method for producing an electroceramic multilayer component, comprising:

A2) providing ceramic green sheets as per the method according to claim 12 ;

B2) layering the ceramic green sheets on top of one another to form a stack;

C2) consolidating the stack by lamination, as a result of which green parts are formed;

D2) debindering the green parts; and

E2) sintering the green parts.

16. A method for producing a multilayer component to form a ceramic material according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

A3) producing a first ceramic raw material mixture by comminuting and mixing starting materials containing Pb, Zr, Ti, Nd and oxygen;

B3) calcining the first ceramic raw material mixture;

C3) comminuting the calcined first ceramic raw material mixture and mixing with a K-containing compound to produce a second ceramic raw material mixture;

D3) calcining the second ceramic raw material mixture;

E3) adding a binder to the ceramic raw material mixture of D3);

F3) forming green sheets from the mixture of E3);

G3) printing inner electrodes on the green sheets of F3, the material of the inner electrodes comprising Cu;

H3) layering a multiplicity of the ceramic green sheets of G3) on top of one another to form a stack;

I3) consolidating the stack by lamination, as a result of which green parts are formed;

J3) debindering the green parts; and

K3) sintering the green parts, some of the Cu being transferred from the inner electrodes into the ceramic material and being incorporated therein.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the material of the inner electrodes comprises metallic Cu or Cu oxide.