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The high piezoelectric properties of lead-free (1-x)(Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3-xLiTaO3-0.3 mol% GeO2 ceramics driven by multiphase coexistence

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Abstract

To optimize the comprehensive electrical performances of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, (1-x)(Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3-xLiTaO3-0.3 mol% GeO2 (abbreviated as (1-x)BCZT-xLT-0.3 mol%G, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state sintering method. The structures and electric properties of ceramics were systemically studied through XRD, Raman spectra, εr-T, SEM, and PE, respectively. The results show that the piezoelectric properties can be affected by phase coexistences for different doping contents. Thereinto, the phase coexistences change from R-O at x = 0 to R-O/O-T at 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 and O-T at x = 0.3, respectively, while the R single phase is detected with x further increasing to 0.5. Correspondingly, the ceramics with multiphase coexistences at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 obtain more excellent electrical properties than the ones with single phase at x = 0.5. In addition, the outstanding electric properties especially including the piezoelectric response are achieved at x = 0.2 mol% (e.g., d33 = 570 pC/N, kp = 0.61, εr = 14,887, tanδ = 0.007, Pr = 8.51 µC/cm2, Ec = 0.18 kV/cm, respectively).

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by High-level Innovative Talents Plan of Guizhou province No.(2015)4009 and Specialized Funds from Industry and Information Technology Department of Guizhou Province No.2016056. The authors also acknowledged the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Project No. 51602066.

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Mou, F., Xue, A., Liu, Q. et al. The high piezoelectric properties of lead-free (1-x)(Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3-xLiTaO3-0.3 mol% GeO2 ceramics driven by multiphase coexistence. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 2432–2440 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-05009-8

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