Abstract

BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT) ceramics are important multiferroic materials, which are attracting significant attention for potential applications in high temperature lead-free piezoelectric transducers. In the present study, the effects of Sr2+ as an acceptor dopant for Bi3+, in the range from 0 to 1.0% (in mole), on the structure and ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties of 0.7BiFeO3-0.3BaTiO3 ceramics were evaluated. The use of a post-sintering Ar annealing process was found to be an effective approach to reduce electrical conductivity induced by the presence of electron holes associated with reoxidation during cooling. A low Sr dopant concentration (0.3%, in mole) yielded enhanced ferroelectric (Pmax ∼ 0.37 C/m2, Pr ∼ 0.30 C/m2) and piezoelectric (d33 ∼ 178 pC/N, kp ∼ 0.27) properties, whereas higher levels led to chemically heterogeneous core-shell structures and secondary phases with an associated decline in performance. The electric field-induced strain of the Sr-doped BF-BT ceramics was investigated using a combination of digital image correlation macroscopic strain measurements and in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Quantification of the intrinsic (lattice strain) and extrinsic (domain switching) contributions to the electric field induced strain indicated that the intrinsic contribution dominated during the poling process.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call