Lead-free ceramics based on alkaline niobate tantalate antimonate with excellent dielectric and piezoelectric properties

This paper reports lead-free (Na_0.52K_0.48−x)(Nb_0.94−xSb_0.06)O₃-xLiTaO₃ compositions with significantly enhanced piezoelectric properties. The 6% Sb substituted Na_0.52K_0.48NbO₃ was modified by a small amount of LiTaO₃, leading to the formation of a morphotropic phase boundary between orthorhombic and tetragonal phases in the range of x = 0.035-0.04 where the materials show a strong compositional dependence of various electrical properties. Excellent properties of d₃₃ = 335 pC/N, k_p = 53%, , Q_m = 41 and T_c = 291 °C were obtained in the composition with x = 0.04, indicating that the ceramics studied are promising as a lead-free piezoelectric candidate.