Ferroelectric versus Relaxor Behaviour in Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15—BaBi4Ti4O15 Solid Solutions

Sodium-bismuth titanate Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ (NBT) and barium bismuth titanate BaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (BBT) and their solid solutions were prepared by solid state reaction of the constituent oxides. The room temperature structural characteristics were determined by X-ray diffraction and the dielectric properties investigated in a wide range of temperatures (20–750°C) and frequencies (1 kHz–1 MHz). As the barium content increases, the unit cell change from orthorhombic to pseudo-tetragonal, the paraelectric to ferroelectric phase transition decreases from 655°C to 400–420°C and a relaxor-like behaviour is observed for high barium contents. Depending on the composition, dielectric data were fitted using both classical (low Ba) and modified Curie-Weiss law for relaxors (high Ba).