Phase transition and energy storage performance in Ba-doped PLZST antiferroelectric ceramics

Abstract

(Pb0.97−xBaxLa0.02)(Zr0.7Sn0.27Ti0.03) (0 < x < 0.08) antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics were successfully fabricated by a solid state reaction, and the effect of barium (Ba) additions and temperature on the dielectric properties and energy storage performance were investigated. The ceramics with lower Ba content undergo two phase transitions during heating from room temperature to 300 °C: orthorhombic (O)-rhombohedral (R)-cubic (C). With the increase of Ba content, dielectric constants increased and transition temperature decreased obviously. The ferroelectric phase was induced as the composition x increased from 0 to 0.08, however, which was not stable and transformed into AFE state upon heating, and then paraelectric phase, which was confirmed by DC field dependence of dielectric constant. The polarization sharply increased from 9.7 μC/cm2 at 20 °C to 24. 6μC/cm2 at 100 °C in (Pb0.89Ba0.08La0.02)(Zr0.7Sn0.27Ti0.03) ceramic. As a result, the maximum recovered energy density of 2.1 J/cm3 was obtained at 80 °C, and the corresponding energy-storage efficiency was 76.5 %, which made this material a promising potential application in capacitors for pulsed power systems.