In-depth structure characterization and properties of (1−x)(Li0.05Na0.475K0.475)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3−xBiFeO3 lead-free piezoceramics

Abstract

(1−x)(Li0.05Na0.475K0.475)(Nb0.95Sb0.05O3)−xBiFeO3 ceramics were prepared by the conventional sintering method. The microstructure, phases and their relative volume fractions were investigated in detail by using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Fullprof and Topas softwares were also used to refine the X-ray diffraction data to confirm the crystal structure. The refinement results show that for x ≤ 0.008, the ceramics consists of the orthorhombic and tetragonal perovskite phases, and the fraction of the orthorhombic phase decreases from 50.66 % for x = 0.0 to 40.62 % for x = 0.008. When x = 0.01, the ceramics has a mixed microstructure with three coexisting phases: the orthorhombic, tetragonal perovskite phases and tetragonal tungsten bronze-type structure phase, and the fraction of the tetragonal tungsten bronze-type structure phase is 6.72 %. The selected area electron diffraction data is also consistent with the space groups for all of the above phases. This system also exhibits good ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties for applications, for example, at x = 0.004, the ceramic samples have a piezoelectric constant (d 33) of 272 pC/N and remanent polarization (P r) of 20.6 μC/cm2.