Impact of lead compensation on the frequency stability and discharge performance of PBLZST AFE energy storage ceramics

Abstract

The lead volatilization is inevitable during the sintering process in Pb-based antiferroelectric, and the lead compensation is crucial for achieving desirable performances. In this study, a conventional solid-state approach was employed to fabricate the PBLZST + xPbO ceramics with varying lead content (x = −5, 0, 5, 10 wt%), aiming at investigating the impact of lead compensation on the microstructure and macroscopic properties of PBLZST ceramics. Through scanning electron microscopy and hardness testing analysis, it was observed that increasing the lead content effectively compensated for the lead volatilization. The most densely structured ceramic was obtained when x = 5 wt%, featuring a high energy density of 4.22 J/cm3, representing a remarkable 135.8% increase compared to the energy density at x = −5 wt%. Furthermore, this lead compensation also leads to an enhancement in the frequency stability (10–100 Hz) and a larger discharge energy density of 4.11 J/cm3 within a faster discharge time of 6.42 μs compared to other components. The experimental results emphasize the importance of controlling the lead content to optimize the electrical properties and enhance the energy storage capabilities of Pb-based antiferroelectric ceramics.