Electrical properties and relaxor phase evolution of Nb-Modified Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-SrTiO3 lead-free ceramics

In this work, the crystalline phase, domain structure, and electrical properties of Bi_0.5(Na_0.84K_0.16)_0.5]_0.96Sr_0.04Ti_1-xNb_xO₃ (x = 0.010–0.030) ceramics are investigated. Increasing the Nb content induces the phase transition from coexistent rhombohedral and tetragonal phases to a single pseudo-cubic phase, and the lamellar ferroelectric domains evolve into polar nanoregions. Decreased ferroelectric-to-relaxor transition temperature and enhanced frequency dispersion are found in the temperature-dependent dielectric constant and loss, implying a transition from the non-ergodic to ergodic relaxor state. The Nb substitution significantly degrades the long-range ferroelectric order with sharply decreased piezoelectric coefficients from ? 140 to ? 1 pC/N. However, a large strain of 0.32% at 5 kV/mm (normalized strain of 640 pm/V) is obtained around the critical composition of x = 0.0225. The composition of x = 0.030 shows good temperature insensitivity of the strain response, characterized by 308 pm/V with less than 15% reduction from 25 °C to 125 °C.