Study on the phase structure and electrical properties of lead-free Barium titanate-based piezoelectric ceramic

Excessive Sr-doping has been observed to lead to a deterioration in the piezoelectric properties of BT-based ceramics. In response to this issue, this study introduces a solution through the development of lead-free piezoceramics using the composition (1-2x)Ba0.86Sr0.14Ti0.90Sn0.10O3-2xBa(0.86)Ca(0.14)Ti(0.90)Sn(0.10)O(3) (BSTS-xBCTS), prepared through the conventional solid-state method. The rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and tetragonal phase coexistence is determined in the ceramic with 0.2 <= x <= 0.04. with x=0.3, the BSTS-xBCTS ceramic shows a sizeable piezoelectric property (d(33) similar to 540 pC/N) and high epsilon(r) value (similar to 10280), superior or comparable to the other BT-based or lead-based ceramics. These results demonstrate that the electrical property of the BSTS-xBCTS ceramic exceeds those of some lead-based ceramics or equivalent and holds significant potential in various technological applications that require electrical materials.