Structural and Piezoelectric Properties of (Ba1-xCaxZr0.1Ti0.9)O3 Ceramics, Near Morphotropic Phase Boundary (0.140 ≤ x ≤ 0.160)

Abstract

Ceramic pellet samples of (Ba1-xCaxZr1-yTiy)O3 (x = 0.140- 0.160, y = 0.9), were prepared using the conventional solidstate reaction method followed by double sintering. Structural and piezoelectric measurements of the prepared compositions were carried out at room temperature. For the compositions with x ≤ 0.150, the converse piezoelectric constant (d33*), strain (%), coercive field (Ec) and remnant polarization (Pr), were found increasing with x, which were found anomalously to decrease with further increase in x above 0.150. Among the prepared compositions, maximum value of d33* was found 342 pm/V, for the samples with x = 0.150. The measured maximum values of strain (%), piezoelectric constant (d33*) and break in XRD peak shifting patterns of the prepared samples indicate composition dependent piezoelectric properties, showing morphotropic- like phase boundary (MPB), near x = 0.150 composition. The prepared compositions of lead- free BCZT ceramics will extend the possibilities to use this compound in the field of piezoelectric sensors.