Investigation of Electrical Properties in Antimony Doped Ba0.9Ca0.1Zr0.07Ti(0.93−x)SbxO3 Lead-Free Ceramics

Abstract

Lead-free piezoceramics have constantly been gaining attention as candidates for replacing the lead-based hazardous piezoelectric materials. In the present study the electrical properties of Ba0.9Ca0.1Zr0.0.7Ti(0.93−x)SbxO3 (x = 0, 0.005, 0.010, 0.015 and 0.020) lead-free piezoceramics, prepared via solid-state synthesis route, have been investigated. The study of crystalline structure reveals that all the ceramics are in the orthorhombic phase with no secondary phase. The study of surface morphology of the ceramics reveals that the grains become smaller and inhomogeneous with the simultaneous decrease in density, as x increases. Dielectric constant at room temperature increases significantly from 1670 for the un-doped sample to 8200 for the sample with x = 0.02. But, the remnant polarization (Pr), piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) and electromechanical coupling coefficient (kp) degrade as x increases.