TOWARDS HIGHER PERFORMANCE LEAD-FREE PIEZOELECTRIC CERAMICS - NEXT GENERATION (BA,CA)(ZR,TI)O3

Abstract

In the present work, chemical modification, templated grain growth (TGG), and hot press sintering have been used to develop high performance lead-free (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 (BCZT) piezoelectric ceramics. Conventional solid state reaction was used to fabricate chemical modified BCZT piezoelectric ceramics. The effects of doping on phase structure, microstructure, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric properties of BCZT ceramics have been systematically investigated, suggesting that the properties of BCZT ceramics can be dramatically improved by optimizing the chemical composition. Novel fabrication methods, including TGG and hot press sintering, have been used to fabricate textured BCZT ceramics and hot-pressed BCZT ceramics in order to further improve their electric properties. The results indicate that TGG and hot press sintering are effective methods to improve the electrical properties of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. Our studies suggest that BCZT ceramics have a promising potential to become a feasible lead-free candidate to replace PZT.