Hydrothermal synthesis and piezoelectric property of Ta-doping K0.5Na0.5NbO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramic

Ta-doping K_0.5Na_0.5Nb_1−xTa_xO₃ (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) powder was synthesized by hydrothermal approach and its ceramics were prepared after sintering and polarizing treatment in this work. The K_0.5Na_0.5Nb_0.7Ta_0.3O₃ ceramics near morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), which exhibited optimum piezoelectric properties of d₃₃ = 210 pC/N and good electromechanical coupling factors of K_p = 0.3. The domain structure has been observed from TEM images which indicates that the K_0.5Na_0.5Nb_0.7Ta_0.3O₃ ceramics have good piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties for it is near the MPB.     

Crystal structure,microwave dielectric properties and low temperature sintering of (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+ co-substitution for Ti4+ of LiNb0.6Ti0.5O3 ceramics

The phase composition, microstructure, microwave dielectric properties of (Al_0.5Nb_0.5)⁴⁺ co-substitution for Ti site in LiNb_0.6Ti_0.5O₃ ceramics and the low temperature sintering behaviors of Li₂O-B₂O₃-SiO₂ (LBS) glass were systematically discussed. XRD patterns and EDS analysis result confirmed that single phase of Li_1.075Nb_0.625Ti_0.45O₃ solid solution was formed in all component. The increase of dielectric constant (ε_r) is ascribed to the improvement of bulk density. The restricted growth of grain has a negative influence on quality factor (Q×f) value. The τ_f value could be continuously shifted to near zero as the doping content increases. Great microwave dielectric properties were obtained in LiNb_0.6Ti_(0.5-x)(Al_0.5Nb_0.5)_xO₃ ceramics (x?=?0.10) when sintered at 1100?℃ for 2?h: ε_r =?70.34, Q×f =?5144?GHz, τ_f =?4.8?ppm/℃. The sintering aid, LBS glass, can effectively reduce the temperature and remain satisfied microwave performance. Excellent microwave dielectric properties for x?=?0.10 were obtained with 1.0?wt% glass: ε_r =?70.16, Q×f =?4153?GHz (at 4?GHz), τ_f =?-0.65?ppm/℃ when sintered at 925?℃ for 2?h.     

Microstructure and piezoelectric properties of CuO-doped 0.95(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-0.05Li(Nb0.5Sb0.5)O3 lead-free ceramics

The effects of sintering temperature and the addition of CuO on the microstructure and piezoelectric properties of 0.95(K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃-0.05Li(Nb_0.5Sb_0.5)O₃ were investigated. The KNN-5LNS ceramics doped with CuO were well sintered even at 940 °C. A small amount of Cu²⁺ was incorporated into the KNN-5LNS matrix ceramics and XRD patterns suggested that the Cu²⁺ ion could enter the A or B site of the perovskite unit cell and replace the Nb⁵⁺ or Li⁺ simultaneously. The study also showed that the introduction of CuO effectively reduced the sintering temperature and improved the electrical properties of KNN-5LNS. The high piezoelectric properties of d₃₃ = 263 pC/N, k_p = 0.42, Q_m = 143 and tan δ = 0.024 were obtained from the 0.4 mol% CuO doped KNN-5LNS ceramics sintered at 980 °C for 2 h.     

Reduced hysteresis of KNNS-BNKZ piezoelectric ceramics through the control of sintering temperature

The hysteresis of piezoelectric ceramics plays an important role in determining errors when they are applied in actuators. However, the relationships between the hysteresis characteristic, preparation process of the piezoelectric ceramic, and displacement error of the actuator have rarely been systematically studied. In this study, 0.9625(K_0.48Na_0.52)(Nb_0.6Sb_0.4)O₃-0.0375Bi_0.5(Na_0.82K_0.18)_0.5ZrO₃ (KNNS-BNKZ) ceramics were prepared via a solid-state reaction and sintered at 1140?°C, 1160?°C, and 1180?°C. Subsequently, the influence of sintering temperatures on the phase composition, microstructure, piezoelectric properties, and ferroelectric properties of the samples was studied. Furthermore, the factors affecting the hysteresis characteristics were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the ceramic sintered at 1140?°C possessed the smallest hysteresis with H_max =?25% owing to its phase composition and microstructure. Additionally, linear regression of the displacement versus voltage was carried out and the corresponding equations were obtained. Finally, the hysteresis model of the ceramic sintered at 1140?℃ was established and its error was determined to be less than 1.81%, which renders these ceramics suitable for application in high-precision actuators.     

Synthesis and properties of (Hf1-xTax)C solid solution carbides

Thermodynamically stable (Hf_1–xTa_x)C (x?=?0.1–0.3) compositions were selected by First Principle Calculation and synthesized in nanopowders via high-energy ball milling and carbothermal reduction of commercial oxides at 1450?°C. The formation of a solid solution during powder synthesis was investigated. The solid solution carbide powders were sintered at 1900?°C by spark plasma sintering without a sintering aid. As a result, the (Hf_1–xTa_x)C solid solution carbides exhibited high densities, excellent hardness and fracture toughness (ρ: 98.7–100.0%, HVN: 19.69–19.98?GPa, K_IC: 5.09–5.15?MPa?m^1/2) compared with previously reported HfC and HfC–TaC solid solution carbides.     

Effects of (Cr0.5Ta0.5)4+ on structure and microwave dielectric properties of Ca0.61Nd0.26TiO3 ceramics

The Ca_0.61Nd_0.26Ti_1-x(Cr_0.5Ta_0.5)_xO₃ (CNT-CTx) ceramics with orthorhombic perovskite structure were prepared using the conventional solid-state method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were employed to investigate the correlations between crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties of CNT-CTx ceramics. The XRD results showed that all CNT-CTx samples were crystallized into the orthorhombic perovskite structure. The SEM micrographs indicated that the average grain size of samples depended on the sintering temperature. As (Cr_0.5Ta_0.5)⁴⁺ concentration increased, there was a significant decrease in the average grain size of samples. The short range order (SRO) structure and structural distortion of oxygen octahedra proved to exist in CNT-CTx crystals according to the analysis of Raman spectra results. The microwave dielectric properties highly depended on the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of Raman spectra, oxygen octahedra distortion, reduction of Ti⁴⁺ to Ti³⁺ and bond valence. At last, the CNT-CT0.05 ceramic sintered at 1420?°C for 4?h exhibited the good and stable comprehensive microwave dielectric properties: relative permittivity of 96.5, quality factor of 14,360?GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency of +153.3?ppm/°C.     

Evolution of phase composition and microstructure of sodium potassium niobate –based ceramic during pressure-less spark plasma sintering and post-annealing

This study was designed to better understand the microstructural and phase evolution of lead-free sodium potassium niobate based piezoceramics with a nominal composition (K_0.5Na_0.5)_0.99Sr_0.005NbO₃ (KNNSr) during pressure-less spark plasma sintering followed by post-annealing in oxygen. The as-sintered samples were dark-coloured and electrically conductive as a result of partial reduction of Nb⁵⁺ to Nb⁴⁺ and formation of oxygen vacancies confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy. The Rietveld refinement analysis showed that the as-sintered samples contained two perovskite phases with monoclinic Pm unit cell and slightly different unit-cell parameters. The microstructure with sub-micrometre-sized grains unambiguously confirmed that rapid heating and short dwell time hindered the grain growth. We found that post-annealing the samples at 950?°C in oxygen led to improvement in functional properties. The samples became white-coloured, the both perovskite unit cells decreased as a result of re-oxidation, while the microstructure remained essentially unchanged. The KNNSr sintered at nominal sintering temperature of 1300?°C for 3?min and post-annealed possessed a relative density of 88% and dielectric and piezoelectric properties similar to those of the conventionally sintered samples. Our findings contribute to the understanding of pressure-less spark plasma sintering of sodium potassium niobate-based materials and suggest that arrested grain growth and minimisation of alkali evaporation not necessarily lead to dense ceramic.     

Enhanced piezoelectric,electrocaloric and energy storage properties at high temperature in lead-free Bi0.5(Na1-xKx)0.5TiO3 ceramics

The piezoelectric, electrocaloric and energy storage properties were systemically investigated in lead-free Bi_0.5(Na_1-xK_x)_0.5TiO₃ ceramics from room temperature to high temperature region. These ceramics can be poled completely to obtain large piezoelectric coefficient (104–153 pC/N) at low electric field of ~30?kV/cm. The piezoelectric property shows good thermal stability due to high depolarization temperature (T_d). For BNKT₂₀, a large low electric field-induced strain of 0.36% is obtained at 120?°C under 50?kV/cm, the corresponding normalized strain coefficient is up to 720?pm/V, which is larger than other BNT-based ceramics at high temperature region. The electrocaloric properties of these ceramics are studied via indirect and direct methods. Large EC value (~1.08?K) in BNKT₂₀ ceramic is obtained at 50?kV/cm using indirect calculation. Above 100?°C, the dielectric energy storage density and efficiency of BNKT₂₀ is still up to ~0.85?J/cm³ and 0.75, respectively. The BNKT_x ceramics may become promising candidates in the fields of actuators, electrocaloric cooling and energy storage at high temperature region.     

Low-temperature-sintered Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based lead-free ferroelectric ceramics with good piezoelectric properties

Li₂CO₃ has been used as a sintering aid for fabricating lead-free ferroelectric ceramic 0.93(Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃)-0.07BaTiO₃. A small amount (0.5 wt%) of it can effectively lower the sintering temperature of the ceramic from 1200 °C to 980 °C. Unlike other low temperature-sintered ferroelectric ceramics, the ceramic retains its good dielectric and piezoelectric properties, giving a high dielectric constant (1570), low dielectric loss (4.8%) and large piezoelectric coefficient (180 pC/N). The “depolarization” temperature is also increased to 100 °C and the thermal stability of piezoelectricity is improved. Our results reveal that oxygen vacancies generated from the diffusion of the sintering aid into the lattices are crucial for realizing the low temperature sintering. Owing to the low sintering temperature and good dielectric and piezoelectric properties, the ceramics, especially of multilayered structure, should have great potential for practical applications.     

Various cubic-based polymorphic phase boundary structures in (1-y)(Na0.5K0.5)(Nb1-xSbx)-yCaTiO3 ceramics and their piezoelectric properties

CuO-added (1-y)(Na_0.5K_0.5)(Nb_1-xSb_x)-yCaTiO₃ ceramics with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1 and 0.04 ≤ y ≤ 0.055 were sintered at 970 °C. Various cubic-based polymorphic-phase-boundary (PPB) structures were formed: orthorhombic-tetragonal-cubic, and tetragonal-cubic PPB structures. The crystal structure of the specimens near Curie temperature is a mixture of Pm3m cubic and P4mm tetragonal structures and these ceramics showed ferroelectric properties. A schematic phase diagram of these ceramics has been suggested. The piezoelectric properties of these specimens were influenced by their crystal structure. All the specimens are expected to have good fatigue properties. In particular, the specimen with a tetragonal-cubic PPB structure (x = 0.04 and y = 0.045) has a large d₃₃ of 338 pC/N and a high strain of 0.17% at 4.5 kV/mm. This specimen has good temperature stability; a d₃₃ value of 300 pC/N and strain of approximately 0.12% were obtained at 175 °C, indicating that this specimen is a good candidate for use as a piezoelectric multilayer actuator.     

Low-temperature sintering of Ti1−xCux/3Nb2x/3O2 (x = 0.23) microwave dielectric ceramics with CuO and B2O3 addition

The influence of CuO and B₂O₃ addition on the sintering behavior, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Ti_1?xCu_x/3Nb_2x/3O₂ (TCN, x = 0.23) ceramic have been investigated. It was found that the addition of CuO and B₂O₃ successfully reduced the sintering temperature of TCN ceramics from 950 to 875 °C. X-ray diffraction studies showed that addition of CuO-B₂O₃ has no effect on the phase composition. The TCN ceramics with 0.5 wt% CuO-B₂O₃ addition showed a high dielectric constant of 95.63, τ_f value of + 329 ppm/°C and a good Q × f value of 8700 GHz after sintered at 875 °C for 5 h, cofirable with silver electrode.     

High energy storage performance of [(Bi0.5Na0.5)0.94Ba0.06]0.97La0.03Ti1-x(Al0.5Nb0.5)xO3 ceramics with enhanced dielectric breakdown strength

Novel lead-free [(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.94Ba_0.06]_0.97La_0.03Ti_1-x(Al_0.5Nb_0.5)_xO₃ ceramics (BNBLT-xAN) were prepared by the conventional solid state sintering method. The dielectric, ferroelectric, ac impedance and energy-storage performance were systematically investigated. Temperature dependent permittivity curves showed that relaxation properties of sintered ceramics gradually diminished with the increase of AN. The introduction of AN gave rise to a slimmer polarization hysteresis loop (P-E) and an enhanced dielectric breakdown strength (DBS). Therefore, the optimum energy-storage performance were realized at x?=?0.05 with the energy-storage density (W_rec) of 1.72?J/cm³ and energy-storage efficiency (η) of 85.6% at 105?kV/cm, accompanied with the excellent temperature stability and fatigue performance. The results demonstrated that BNBLT-xAN system was a promising lead-free candidate for energy-storage applications.     

Effect of Ta5+ doping on the thermal physical properties of defective fluorite Y3NbO7 ceramics

The effects of substituting the B cation in A₃BO₇ ceramics on their thermal physical properties were investigated by applying a large mass difference. Y₃(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₇ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) ceramics were synthesized, and their structural characteristics were determined. All the fabricated Y₃(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₇ ceramics showed defective fluorite structures and glass-like low thermal conductivity (1.18−2.04 W/m∙K at 25°C) because of the highly distorted crystal structure and significant mass difference. Substitution with Ta⁵⁺ enhanced the sintering resistance, leading to superior thermal-insulating performance via grain boundary scattering. Furthermore, the ceramics exhibited excellent coefficients of thermal expansion, implying the promising applicability of Y₃(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₇ as new thermal barrier materials. The effect of mass difference on the thermomechanical properties of the ceramics was examined, suggesting a simple strategy for engineering the chemical composition of new thermal barrier materials.     

Low-Temperature Sintering of (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 Piezoelectric Ceramics

(K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃ piezoelectric ceramics can be sintered at a temperature as low as 750 °C for 5 h by incorporating Li₂CO₃ + Bi₂O₃ + ZnO as the sintering aid, whereas the conventional sintering temperature is around 1,100 °C. The optimal “soft” piezoelectric properties are obtained for ceramics sintered at 850 °C for 5 h. The dielectric permittivity (ε), piezoelectric coefficient (d ₃₃), electromechanical coupling (k _p) and mechanical quality factors (Q _m) of (K, Na)NbO₃ modified with 5.5 wt% sintering aids are 1,436, 90 pC/N, 0.3 and 10, respectively. These values are similar to the values obtained for (K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃ ceramics sintered above 1,100 °C. The underlying mechanism for abrupt change of dielectric permittivity is explained.     

Mechanical and thermal expansion studies on Ca0.5Sr0.5Zr4-xTixP6O24 ceramics

Ca_0.5Sr_0.5Zr_4-xTi_xP₆O₂₄ (x?=?0?0.2) ceramics belonging to the NZP family were prepared and dense ceramics with no microcracks were obtained. All of the ceramic samples were still composed of the typical NZP structure with a small amount of Ti⁴⁺ substitution for Zr⁴⁺. The mechanical and thermal expansion properties of the ceramics were characterized and the result showed that the flexural strength monotonically increased to 66.5?MPa. The thermal expansion coefficient varied from 1.8 to 3.4?×?10^?6/°C with Ti⁴⁺ content increasing. Thus, it was clear that the substitution of Ti⁴⁺ for Zr⁴⁺ had obvious effects on the sinterability, mechanical and thermal expansion properties of Ca_0.5Sr_0.5Zr_4-xTi_xP₆O₂₄ ceramics, which were discussed in detail.     

Nonstoichiometric microwave dielectric ceramics [(Na0.5-xBi0.5+x/3)0.5Ca0.5]MoO4 with low sintering temperatures

In this work, [(Na_0.5-xBi_0.5+x/3)_0.5Ca_0.5]MoO₄ (x = ±0.03, ±0.06, ±0.09, ±0.12) microwave dielectric ceramics prepared by the solid-state reaction method are investigated. All the samples can be sintered well below 800℃. The sintered ceramics show a scheelite structure without any secondary phase, indicating that a solid solution is formed in nonstoichiometric [(Na_0.5-xBi_0.5+x/3)_0.5Ca_0.5]MoO₄. While x value increases from -0.12 to 0.12, the relative permittivity rises from 16.7 to 21.0, TCF value is improved from -21 ppm/℃ to +1 ppm/℃, and Q × f value varies in the range of 17,000 GHz and 34,000 GHz. The Raman analysis reveals that one of the external modes is attributed to be the main factor affecting the performances. When x = 0.09 and 0.12, high performance microwave dielectric ceramics can be well densified at low sintering temperatures (750−775℃) with relative permittivities of 20.9–21.0, improved Q × f values of 31,400−33,000 GHz, and near-zero temperature coefficients of resonate frequency (|TCF| ≈ ±2 ppm/℃).     

Structure and electrical properties of Ca2+-doped (Na0.47Bi0.47Ba0.06)TiO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

The lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (Na_.47Bi_.47Ba_.06)_1-xCa_xTiO₃ (x?=?0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.08, abbreviated as BNBTC/0, BNBTC/1, BNBTC/2, BNBTC/3, BNBTC/5, and BNBTC/8, respectively) were obtained using the solid-state reaction method. The structure, electric conductivity, and dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the Ca²⁺-doped (Na_.47Bi_.47Ba_.06)TiO₃ ceramics were thoroughly investigated. The ceramics sintered at 1200?°C exhibit dense microstructures, having relative densities higher than 96%. The X-ray diffraction results demonstrate that all ceramics have a pure perovskite structure. The mean grain sizes of the ceramics are related to the Ca²⁺ quantity. A small quantity of Ca²⁺ ions (x?≤?0.03) improves the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of the samples. The dielectric behavior of the samples is sensitive to the Ca²⁺ content and electric poling. The results demonstrate that the electrical properties of the (Na_.47Bi_.47Ba_.06)TiO₃ lead-free ceramics can be well tuned by varying the Ca²⁺ quantity.     

Fabrication and piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3/BaTiO3-Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3-BiFeO3 composites

We fabricated xBaTiO₃ (BT)/(1-x)[BaTiO₃-Bi(Mg_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃-BiFeO₃] (BT-BMT-BF)?+?0.1?wt%MnCO₃ composites by spark plasma sintering and investigated the effect of BT content x, BT powder size, and BT-BMT-BF composition on piezoelectric properties. For xBT/(1-x)(0.3BT-0.1BMT-0.6BF) +?0.1?wt%MnCO₃ (x?=?0–0.75) composites with a 0.5-µm BT powder, the dielectric constant was increased with x, and the relative density was decreased at x?=?0.67 and 0.75, creating optimum BT content of x?=?0.50 with a piezoelectric constant d₃₃ of 107?pC/N. When a larger 1.5-µm BT powder was utilized for the composite with x?=?0.50, the d₃₃ value increased to 150?pC/N due to the grain size effect of the BT grains. To compensate for a compositional change from the optimum 0.3BT-0.1BMT-0.6BF due to partial diffusion between the BT and 0.3BT-0.1BMT-0.6BF grains, a 0.5BT/0.5(0.275BT-0.1BMT-0.625BF)?+?0.1?wt%MnCO₃ composite with the 1.5-µm BT powder was fabricated. We obtained an increased d₃₃ value of 166?pC/N. These results provided a useful composite design to enhance the piezoelectric properties.     

Composition,microstructure and electrical properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics fabricated by cold sintering assisted sintering

In this paper, cold sintering was served as a forming method to assist the conventional sintering, which is so-called cold sintering assisted sintering (CSAS) method. Lead-free K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the CSAS method, and the effects of the different procedures on the sintering behaviors and electrical properties of KNN ceramics were studied. Compared with conventional sintering (CS), cold sintering process can induce potassium-rich phase on the KNN particle surface, and remarkably increase both the green and sintering density of KNN ceramics. Meanwhile, the potassium-rich phase would transform to K₄Nb₆O₁₇ second phase on the grain surface, and subsequently suppress the volatilization of potassium element. The sinterability and electrical properties were greatly improved, and KNN piezoelectric ceramics with high performance can be manufactured in a wide sintering temperature range (1055 °C–1145 °C), which proves that CSAS has the potential to be an excellent sintering technique for producing KNN based ceramics.     

Dielectric temperature stability of Nb-modified Bi0.5(Na0.78K0.22)0.5TiO3 lead-free ceramics

In this study, the phase structure, microstructure and dielectric properties of Bi_0.5(Na_0.78K_0.22)_0.5(Ti_1-xNb_x)O₃ lead-free ceramics prepared by traditional solid phase sintering method were studied. The second phase pyrochlore bismuth titanate (Bi₂Ti₂O₇) was produced in the system after introduction of Nb⁵⁺. The dielectric constant of the sample (x = 0.03) sintered at 1130 °C at room temperature reached a maximum of 1841, and the dielectric loss was 0.045 minimum. It had been found that the K⁺ and Nb⁵⁺ co-doped Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ (BNT) lead-free ceramics exhibited outstanding dielectric-temperature stability within 100–400 °C with T_cc ≤±15%. Result of this research provides a valuable reference for application of BNT based capacitors in high temperature field.