Large piezoelectric performance in zirconium doped Ba0.86Sr0.14TiO3 lead-free ceramics through utilizing multiphase coexistence

Abstract

Lead-free piezoceramics of Ba0.86Sr0.14Ti1−xZrxO3 (BSTZx) are prepared by the conventional solid-state method. The microstructure, phase structure and electrical properties of BSTZx ceramics in the composition range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1 are systematically studied. The coexistence of the rhombohedral phase, tetragonal phase, and orthorhombic phase is determined in the ceramic with 0.06 ≤ x ≤ 0.08, showing enhanced electrical properties in the ceramics with x = 0.08, especially the large piezoelectric property (~ 620 pC/N) and high er value (~ 4743), which is superior or comparable to the other BT-based ceramics. As a result, the addition of the Zr can effectively improve the electricity of the BaTiO3-based ceramics, which can be beneficial to facilitate the practical process of BT-based ceramics.