Deformation behavior of lead zirconate titanate ceramics under uniaxial compression measured by the digital image correlation method

Abstract The deformation behavior of lead zirconate titanate bulk ceramic specimen under uniaxial compression was monitored by the digital image correlation method and the homogeneity of the deformation was discussed. Combined with using a Sawyer–Tower circuit, the depolarization curve was also obtained. Because of the friction at both the top and bottom surfaces of the lead zirconate titanate ceramic specimen, the distribution of deformation under large uniaxial compressive stresses usually shows a barrel shape. By focusing on correspondingly selected regions of interest and calculating the values of strain components there, the barreling behavior was proved. This barreling behavior is due to elastic strains, in the first place, while the remnant strains are less affected by this phenomenon. All these findings are the experimental justifications for the selection of an aspect ratio of 3:1 for our specimens, where only the central cubic region of a specimen represents the desired purely uniaxial stress state. Only from this region, true uniaxial stress–strain results can be obtained to develop constitutive models.