Ceramic synthesis of 0.08BiGaO3–0.90BaTiO3–0.02LiNbO3 under high pressure and high temperature**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51172089), the Natural Science Foundation of Education Department of Guizhou Province, China (Grant Nos. KY [2013]183 and LH [2015]7232), and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Tongren University, China (Grant No. DS1302).

Abstract

In this paper, the preparation of 0.08BiGaO3-0.90BaTiO3-0.02LiNbO3 is investigated at pressure 3.8 GPa and temperature 1100–1200 °C. Experimental results indicate that not only is the sintered rate more effective, but also the sintered temperature is lower under high pressure and high temperature than those of under normal pressure. It is thought that the adscititious pressure plays the key role in this process, which is discussed in detail. The composition and the structure of the as-prepared samples are recorded by XRD patterns. The result shows that the phases of BaTiO3, BaBiO2.77, and Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 with piezoelectric ceramic performance generate in the sintered samples. Furthermore, the surface morphology characteristics of the typical samples are also investigated using a scanning electron microscope. It indicates that the grain size and surface structure of the samples are closely related to the sintering temperature and sintering time. It is hoped that this study can provide a new train of thought for the preparation of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with excellent performance.