Outstanding piezoelectric properties, phase transitions and domain configurations of 0.963(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.955Sb0.045)O3−0.037(Bi0.50Na0.50)HfO3 ceramics

Abstract

Requirements for substituting the current lead-based piezoelectric materials with lead-free ones are becoming increasingly strong from environmental concerns. In this article, we report piezoelectric properties, phase transitions and domain configurations of a dense 0.963(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.955Sb0.045)O3−0.037(Bi0.50Na0.50)HfO3 lead-free ceramic prepared through solid-state reaction by two-step sintering. It has a large piezoelectric coefficient d33 = 512 pC/N and a planner electromechanical coupling coefficient kp ≈ 0.54 at room temperature. Dielectric measurement indicates that rhombohedral-orthorhombic, orthorhombic-tetragonal, and tetragonal-cubic phase transitions upon heating process occur at −30 °C, 57 °C and 238 °C, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the crystalline structure is dominantly of orthorhombic phase at room temperature. Domain configurations were investigated by acid etching technique. The poled ceramic shows domain patterns of long parallel stripes with hierarchical nanodomain structure existing in some broad stripes. The observed outstanding piezoelectric properties are ascribed to the rhombohedral-orthorhombic and orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transitions, and to the characteristic domain structure.