Effect of Li content on the microstructure and properties of lead-free piezoelectric （K0.5Na0.5）1-xLixNbO3 ceramics prepared by SPS

Lead-free piezoelectric （K0.5sNa0.5）1-xLixNbO3 （x = 0at%-20at%） ceramics were synthesized by spark plasma sintering （SPS） at low temperature and the effects of LiNbO3 addition on its crystal structure and properties were also studied. When the Li content was less than 6at%, a single proveskite phase with the similar structure of （K0.5Na0.5）NbO3 was formed; and a secondary phase with K3Li2Nb5O15 structure was observed in the 6at% 〈 x 〈 20at% compositional range. Furthermore, LiNbO3 existed as the third phase when the Li content was higher than 8at%. The grain sizes increased from 200-500 nm to 5-8 μm when the K3Li2Nb5O15 and LiNbO3 like phases were formed. With increasing Li content, the relative density of the ceramics first decreased from 97% to 93% and then kept constant. The piezoelectric coefficient d33, dielectric constant, and planner electromechanical coupling factor exhibited a decreasing tendency with increasing Li content because of the decrease in density and the formation of the secondary phase such as K3Li2Nb5O15 and LiNbO3. The formation of dense microstructure with a single phase is necessary in improving the properties of the （K0.5Na0.5）1-xLixNbO3 ceramics.     

Structure and Electrical Properties of （Na0.5Bi0.5）0.94Ba0.06TiO3 Ceramicwith0.5wt% of MnO

The structure and electrical properties of （Na0.5Bi0.5）0.94Ba0.06TiO3 ceramic doped with 0.5 wt% of MnO were investigated in comparison with those of （Na0.5Bi0.5）0.94Ba0.06TiO3 ceramic. It was ascertained that the MnO addition did not cause remarkable change in crystal structure and microstructure. The MnO addition mainly displayed a hard effect on the electrical properties, an increase of coercive field （E） and mechanical quality factor （Qm） together with a decrease of dielectric constant （εr） and piezoelectric constant （d33）. An enhancement of electromechanical coupling factor （kp） with the MnO addition was obtained too. An essential relation between the piezoelectric properties and ferroelectric nature of the ceramics was detected. It was found that the piezoelectric properties of the ceramics highly depended on the corporative contribution of remanent polarization （Pt） and coercive field.     

Microstructure, crystalline phase and electrical properties of Li0.06（Na0.5K0.5）0.94Nb（1-2x/5）MgxO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

MgO-modified Li0.06(Na0.5K0.5)0.94NbO3(L6NKN) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized by normal sintering at a relatively low temperature of 1000°C.The crystalline phase,microstructure,and electrical properties of the ceramics were investigated with a special emphasis on the influence of MgO content.The addition of MgO effectively improves the sinterability of the L6NKN ceramics.X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the morphotropic phase boundary(MPB) separating orthorhombic and tetragonal ph...     

Effect of Sintering Time on Structure and Properties in CuO-doping KNN-LS-BF Piezoelectric Ceramics

The 0.6 mol% CuO-doping 0.996(0.95 Na_(0.5)K_(0.5)NbO_3-0.05 LiSbO_3)-0.004 FeBiO_3(KNN-LSBF-CuO) piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction technique, and the structure and piezoelectric properties dependence of sintering time in KNN-LS-BF-CuO ceramics were studied. It is found that all the samples sintered for various time are perovskite structure mixed with orthorhombic symmetry phase and tetragonal phase, but the sintering time has significant influences on the crystalline and properties. When the sintering time increases from 2 hours to 6 hours, the grain of KNN-LS-BF-CuO ceramics becomes more homogeneous and more tight-arrangement. The experimental results reveal that the longer sintering time than 4 hours is beneficial for improving partial properties, such as d_(33), tgδ, and Q_m, but is adverse to ε_r and k_p, the KNNLS-BF-CuO ceramics with optimum properties can be synthesized for 6 hours at 1 060 ℃.     

Effect of doped Mn on piezoelectric properties of （Na0.5Bi0.5 ）0.92 Ba0.08 TiO3 lead-free ceramics

Piezoelectric ceramics (Na0.5Bi0.5)0.92Ba0.05TiO3 x%MnCO3(BNBT-Mn, x=0-1.6,mass fraction)were synthesized by conventional solid state reaction. The results show that when the addition of MnCO3 is 0-1.4%, BNBT-Mn ceramics exhibit a single-phase perovskite structure. With the increase of content of MnCO3, piezoelectric constant and electromechanical coupling factor increase rapidly when x is lower than 0.3. Then they both decrease when x is in the range of 0.3 and 1.6. When x=0.3, piezoelectric constant and electromechanical coupling factor reach the maximum value of 160 pC/N and 58.5% respectively, which can improve the temperature stability of BNBT-Mn.     

Microstructures and Electrical Properties of Bi_(0.5)-(Na_(1-x-y)K_xLi_y)_(0.5)TiO_3 Lead-free Piezoelectric Ceramics

The microstructures and electrical properties of Bi0.5(Na1-x-yKxLiy)0.5TiO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were studied.These ceramics were prepared by conventional ceramic technique.XRD analysis reveals that the ceramics possess almost pure perovskite phase when y≤0.2.The SEM results show that,with more amounts of Li+,the crystalline grain growing speed is accelerated,and the sintering temperature can effectively be decreased.The measurements of piezoelectric properties indicate that the ceramics with relatively low amount of Li+ and high amount of K+ have comparatively large piezoelectricity.The dielectric measurements show that the ceramics have properties like relaxor ferroelectrics and diffuse phase transition(DPT) at Td and Tc,respectively.The results of ferroelectric measurements reveal the system has relatively higher remanent polarization Pr(27.6 μC/cm2) and lower coercive field Ec(37.5 kV/cm).     

Effects of NaNbO3-Co2O3 Co-additive on the Properties of PZN-PZT Ceramics

NaNbO3-Co2O3 co-added PZN-PZT （PZCNNT） ceramics were prepared using conventional solid state reaction. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties were measured. The experimental results show that the addition of 0.3mo1% Co2O3 leads to low dielectric loss （tgδ） in PZCNNT ceramics and the proper addition of NaNbO3 not only improves piezoelectric properties but also decreases intensively dielectric loss and mechanical loss. The optimal ceramic having d33=310 pC/N, kp=0.59, εr=985, tgδ=0.0034, Qm=1380 was obtained.     

Relationship betwccn Liquid Phase Content and the Orientation of PMNT Ceramies by TGG Method

The effects of glass flit on the sintering and electric properties of PMN-PT textured ceramics were investigated. The glass frits, including PbO, Bi2O3 and ZnO, were selected since liquid phase sintering lowered the PMN-PT sintering temperature. The piezoelectric properties of PMN-PT ceramics with glass frit addition are strongly dependent on the densification. The addition of glass frits into PMN-PT matrix reduced the sintering temperature to 1 100℃ instead of 1 150 ℃ for samples without glass. The piezoelectric coefficients （d33） of PMN-PT textured ceramics achieved 568 pc/N with 1 wt% excess PbO.     

Structure and Electric Properties of （1-x）（Bi1/2Na1/2） TiO3-xBaTiO3 Systems

The structural, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of （1-x）（Bi1/2Na1/2） TiO3-xBaTiO3 ceramics were investigated for the compositional range, x=0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10. The samples were synthesized by a conventional solid-state reaction technique. All compositions show a single perovskite structure, and X-ray powder diffraction patterns can be indexed using a rhombohedral structure. Lattice constants and lattice distortion increase while the amount of BaTiO3 increases. The X-ray diffraction results show the morphotropic phase boundary （MPB） of （1-x）（Bi1/2Na12） TiO3-xBaTiO3 exists in near x=0.06-0.08. Temperature dependence of dielectric constant eT33/ε0 measurement reveals that all compositions experience one structural phase and two ferroelectric phases transition below 400℃： rhombohedral （or rhombohedral plus tetragonal） ferroelectric phase ←→ tetragonal antiferroelectric phase ←→ tetragonal paraelectric phase. Relaxor behaviors exist in the course of ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties are enhanced in the MPB range for （ 1-x）（Bi1/2Na1/2）TiO3-xBaTiO3.     

Composition dependence of phase structure and electrical properties of (1−y)Bi1−xNdxFeO3−yBiScO3 ceramics

In this work, we have studied a new lead-free ceramic of(1-y)Bi_(1-x)Nd_xFeO_(3-y)BiScO_3(0.05≤x≤0.15 and 0.05≤y≤0.15) prepared by a conventional solid-state method, and the influences of Nd and Sc content on their phase structure and electrical properties were investigated in detail. The ceramics with 0.05≤x≤0.10 and 0.05≤y≤0.15 belong to an R3 c phase, and the rhombohedral-like and orthorhombic multiphase coexistence is established in the composition range of 0.125≤x≤0.15 and y=0. The electrical properties of the ceramics can be enhanced by modifying x and y values. The highest piezoelectric coefficient(d33~51 p C/N) is obtained in the ceramics with x=0.075 and y=0.125, which is superior to that of a pure BiFeO_3 ceramic. In addition, a lowest dielectric loss(tan δ~0.095%, f=100 k Hz) is shown in the ceramics with x=0.15 and y=0 due to the involvement of low defect concentrations, and the improved thermal stability of piezoelectricity at 20–600oC is possessed in the ceramics. We believe that the ceramics can play a meaningful role in the high-temperature lead-free piezoelectric applications.     

Dielectric Properties of Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) Ceramics by Impedance Spectroscopic Method

Various lead-free ceramics have been investigated in search for new high-temperature dielectrics. In particular, Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) is a type of ferroelectric ceramics, which is supposed to replace leadcontaining ceramics for its outstanding dielectric properties in the near future. Ferroelectric ceramics of Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) made by conventional mixed oxide route have been studied by impedance spectroscopy in a wide range of temperature. X-ray diffraction patterns show that Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) ceramics are a single-phase of ferroelectric Bi-layered perovskite structure whether it is calcined at 800 ℃ or after sintering production. This study focused on the effect of the grain size on the electric properties of BIT ceramics. The BIT ceramics with different grain sizes were prepared at different sintering temperatures. Grain becomes coarser with the sintering temperature increasing by 50 ℃, relative permittivity and dielectric loss also change a lot. When sintered at 1 100 ℃, r values peak can reach 205.40 at a frequency of 100 k Hz, the minimum dielectric losses of four different frequencies make no difference, all close to 0.027. The values of Ea range from 0.52 to 0.68 e V. The dielectric properties of the sample sintered at 1 100 ℃ are relatively better than those of the other samples by analyzing the relationship of the grain, the internal stresses, the homogeneity and the dielectric properties. SEM can better explain the results of the dielectric spectrum at different sintering temperatures. The results show that Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) ceramics are a kind of dielectrics. Thus, Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) can be used in high-temperature capacitors and microwave ceramics.     

Effect of Lead Contents on the Properties of PMSZT Piezoelectric Ceramics

The effects of Pb content on crystallographic phase, microstructure, electric-properties of PMSZT piezoelectric ceramics were studied. The crystallographic phase and microstructure of the ceramics were examined by using X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The experimental result shows that the samples consist of a mixture of tetragonal and rhombohedral phases in the range of lead contents x=0.95-1.06, grains grow up homogeneously and the minimum value of Curie temperature was obtained with x-=1.02. With Pb content x〈l.02 or x〉1.02, the Curie temperature moves towards a high temperature. A well-situated electric-properties of ET33/E0 （1660）, d33 （344pC/N）, Kp （0.684）, Qm （2350）,tan 3（0.0030） were obtained when lead content x=1.02.     

Effects of Dopants on Properties of PZN-PSN-PMN-PZT Ceramics

In order to obtain high Qm ceramics,different additives including MnO2,Fe2O3 and K2CO3 were added into the base PZT composition of xPb（Zn0.2Sn0.3Mn0.5）1/3 Nb2/3 O3-（1-x）Pb（Zr0.3Ti0.5）O3.The mechanical quality factor Qm increased while the piezoelectric constant decreased to some degree as MnO2 was added alone,Although apparent decreasing was observed in piezoelectric constanl d33 after MnO2 and Fe2O3 were added simultaneously,the mechanical quality factor Qm was kept at the same level as before,The values of d33 and Qm decreased dramatically as K2CO3 was added in combination with MnO2 and Fe2O3.The structure of grain boundary was damaged and more defects were generated by low valence K adding in this multi-impurified PZT solid.Mn doped sample presented a wide range of sintering temperatare,The properties parameters of Mn doped PZT are listed as follows;piezoelectric constant d33-256pC/N,mechanical quality factor Qm=2079,coupling coefficient Kp=0.53,Coercive field Ec=22.5kV/cm,Cure Temperature Tc=286℃.These parameters shonc that Mn-doped PZT ceramics are suitable for application in high Qm and transmitting materials.     

Liquid Phase Sintering （LPS） and Dielectric Constant of α-Silicon Nitride Ceramic

The spark plasma sintering （SPS） was applied to prepare α-Si3 N4 ceramics of different densities with magnesia, silicon dioxide, alumina as the sintering aids. The mechanism of liquid phase sintering （LPS） wus discussed and the factors influencing the density of the prepared samples were analyzed. The dielectric constant of sintered samples was tested. The experimental results show that the density can be controlled from 2.48 g/ cm^3 to 3.09 g/ cm^3 while the content of the sintering aids and the sintering temperature alter and the dielectric constant is closely dependent on the density of obtained samples.     

Effects of Sr2＋ substitution on the structural,dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of PZT-PMN ceramics

This study described the structural, dielectric, and piezoelectric behavior of Pb1-xSrx[（Zr0.52Ti0.48）0.95（Mn1/3Nb2/3）0.05]O3 ceramics （PSZT-PMN, x=0, 0.025, 0.050, and 0.075）, prepared by a semi-wet route. X-ray diffraction, dielectric, and piezoelectric investigations were carried out to analyze the crystal structure. The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss were both calculated as the functions of temperature. The room-temperature dielectric constant reaches a maximum for a Sr2＋-modified PZT-PMN ceramic with an x value of 0.050, which corresponds to the morphotropic phase boundary （MPB）. Raman spectroscopy studies also confirm the existence of this MPB for x=0.050. The piezoelectric strain coefficients （d33） value shows a maximum response for this composition. In addition, the phase transition temperature decreases significantly when the Sr2＋concentration increases in the PZT-PMN ceramics.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Polyarylene Sulfide

A novel polyarylene sulfide, polyarylene sulfide sulfone imide, was polymerized with a new monomer （Dichlorodiimide） and sodium sulfide by taking high temperature （200℃） N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone （NMP） as solvent. The polymer was characterized by using conventional methods. Physical properties of the polymer, including thermal stability and solubility, were also studied. DSC and TG analyses reveal that the glass transition temperature T is equal to 252.4 ℃ and that the thermal decomposition temperature Td is equal to 484.9℃.     

Relationship between Liquid Phase Content and the Orientation of PMNT Ceramics by TGG Method

The effects of glass frit on the sintering and electric properties of PMN-PT textured ceramics were investigated. The glass frits, including PbO, Bi2O3 and ZnO, were selected since liquid phase sintering lowered the PMN-PT sintering temperature. The piezoelectric properties of PMN-PT ceramics with glass frit addition are strongly dependent on the densification. The addition of glass frits into PMN-PT matrix reduced the sintering temperature to 1 100 ℃ instead of 1 150 ℃ for samples without glass. The piezoelectric coefficients (d33) of PMN-PT textured ceramics achieved 568 pc/N with 1 wt% excess PbO.     

High precise control method for a new type of piezoelectric electro-hydraulic servo valve

A new type of piezoelectric electro-hydraulic servo valve system was proposed. And then multilayer piezoelectric actuator based on new piezoelectric ceramic material was used as the electricity-machine converter of the proposed piezoelectric electro-hydraulic servo valve. The proposed piezoelectric electro-hydraulic servo valve has ascendant performance compared with conventional ones. But the system is of high nonlinearity and uncertainty, it cannot achieve favorable control performance by conventional control method. To develop an efficient way to control piezoelectric electro-hydraulic servo valve system, a high-precise fuzzy control method with hysteresis nonlinear model in feedforward loop was proposed. The control method is separated into two parts: a feedforward loop with Preisach hysteresis nonlinear model and a feedback loop with high-precise fuzzy control. Experimental results show that the hysteresis loop and the maximum output hysteresis by the PID control method are 4.22% and 2.11 μm, respectively; the hysteresis loop and the maximum output hysteresis by the proposed control method respectively are 0.74% and 0.37 μm, respectively; the maximum tracking error by the PID control method for sine wave reference signal is about 5.02%, the maximum tracking error by the proposed control method for sine wave reference signal is about 0.85%.     

High permittivity and low dielectric loss analysis of lead free Sr1-xLax（Ti0.5Fe0.5）O3

The structural and electrical properties of lead free Srx-xLax（Tio.sFeo.5）O3 （SLTFO） prepared by standard solid state reaction technique were studied. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a single-phase cubic perovskite structure. The compositional dependence of lattice constant, density and microstructural studies show that they vary significantly with La3＋ content. When measured at 10 kHz, all the compositions of SLTFO at room temperature exhibit a high permittivity （about 104） and low dielectric loss （about 10-3）. SLTFO also display minimum dielectric loss within the lower and higher limits of frequency, indicating that the samples are of good quality. It is concluded from the calculated ac conductivity that the conduction is due to mixed polarons hopping. The complex impedance plot exhibits a tendency of forming a single semicircular arc for all compositions, which implies a dominance of grain boundary resistance on the impedance. Impedance parameters were determined by fitting the experimental data with Cole-Cole empirical formula. The results of the present experiment indicate that the lead free SLTFO materials with higher permittivity and lower dielectric loss have possible practical applications.     

Structural and electrical properties of high Curie temperature Aurivillius phase composite ceramics with largely enhanced piezoelectricity

High performance piezoelectric ceramics with high Curie temperatures(TC) are the bottle necks of relevant high temperature devices. In this study, the electrical performance and microstructure of Li and Mn codoped Aurivillius-type composite ceramics with a composition Ca_(0.99-x_Bi_(6.99+x)(Li Mn)_(0.01) Nb Ti_5O_(24)(x = 0–0.8) were systematically investigated. The results indicated that uniform intergrowth structure with a lattice similar to that of the end member CBT could be formed at a low x value(x 0.4). Phase separation occurred when more A-site Ca~(2+) ions were replaced by Bi~(3+) ions. Nevertheless, all composite samples showed d_(33) values about 2 to 3 times of that of the constituent phase Ca Bi_4Ti_4O_(15) and Bi_3 Ti NbO_9 with still a high depolarization temperature. The performance of the samples was found to be related to the density and larger lattice distortion along the polarization a axis. The results also demonstrated that formation of the compound system was an effective way in improving the performance of Aurivillius-type high TC piezoelectric ceramics.