Influence of hydrothermal synthesis conditions on BNT-based piezoceramics

The Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ perovskite (BNT) is a very promising lead-free candidate for piezoelectric applications. Nevertheless a low reproducibility is commonly reported for the solid state synthesized BNT. In this work, the hydrothermal synthesis was investigated to improve the BNT ceramics characteristics reproducibility. The synthesis conditions were studied in order to control more particularly the BNT grain size, crystallinity and stoichiometry.Thanks to the slow hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide with bismuth nitrate pentahydrate, well crystallized BNT-based powder was synthesized at 265 °C. Nevertheless this powder exhibited secondary amorphous phases. Such secondary phases synthesis was limited and prevented by both lowering the temperature synthesis down to 160 °C and optimizing the washing conditions of the powder. The BNT was finally made free of any amorphous phase by using a hydrochloric solution. The BNT sinterability was improved and BNT-based piezoceramics exhibiting a d₃₃ as high as 60 pC/N were successfully produced.