Nanostructured constituents of ZnO-based varistors prepared by mechanical attrition

Nanostructured powders, with crystallite size of ZnO, spinel and γ-Bi2O3 phases below 100 nm, were obtained by the mechanical attrition of ZnO varistor powders prepared by method of directed synthesis of the constituent phases. Powders were further sintered and the resulting varistors showed excellent electrical characteristics with the non-linearity coefficients reaching 45, low values of the leakage current and density reaching 99% of the theoretical value