محمد مالکی شهرکی

In this research, for the first time, the stability of SnO2 based varistor ceramics sintered in the range of 1250–1350 °C against DC-accelerated aging and impulse surge current tests, was systematically studied. Microstructural study of the sintered samples by XRD and FESEM indicated that the sintering temperature only affects densification and grain size, while phase composition remains intact. With the increase of sintering temperature from 1250 °C to 1350 °C, the mean grain size increased from 1.6 to 8 μm. The maximum nonlinear coefficient of 50 and the minimum leakage current density of 1.5 μA/cm2 were obtained in the sample sintered at 1300 °C. The breakdown electric field decreased from 800 V/mm to 270 V/mm, when sintering temperature increased from 1250 °C to 1350 °C. The samples sintered at 1250 °C did not show stability against neither of DC-accelerated aging and impulse current tests. The varistors sintered at 1300 °C exhibited the excellent resistance to DC-accelerated aging degradation, while ceramics sintered at 1350 °C showed the best resistance to impulse current degradation.