Fabrication and electrical properties of textured Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 ceramics using plate-like BaTiO3 particles as templates

Plate-like BaTiO₃ (BT) particles were used as templates to fabricate grain-oriented Ba(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃–(Ba_0.7Ca_0.3)TiO₃ (BZT–BCT) ceramics. The effects of the sintering temperature and the soaking time on the microstructure and electrical properties of the textured BZT–BCT ceramics were investigated. The results show that textured ceramics were obtained with orientation factor better than 0.5. The textured BZT–BCT ceramics have rhombohedral and tetragonal structures. Terrace morphology can be observed in the grains and the mechanism of grain growth is multi-nucleation multilayer growth. The T_R–T and T_C of BZT–BCT ceramics shift to higher temperature as the soaking time increases. Textured structures improve the dielectric, piezoelectric properties, and weaken the dielectric relaxor characteristics. When BZT–BCT ceramics sintered at 1,500 °C for 20 h, the maximum piezoelectric coefficient of 350 pC/N can be obtained.