High piezoelectric performance and domain configurations of (K0.45Na0.55)0.98Li0.02Nb0.76Ta0.18Sb0.06O3 lead-free ceramics prepared by two-step sintering. Issue 2 (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yao, Weizeng; Zhang, Jialiang; Wang, Xuemei; Zhou, Chunming; Sun, Xue; Zhan, Jie
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. Volume 39:Issue 2/3(2019)
• Page Start: 287
• Page End: 294
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: High piezoelectric performance -- Domain configurations -- KNN-based ceramic -- Two-step sintering; Ceramic materials -- Periodicals; Composite materials -- Periodicals; Matériaux céramiques -- Périodiques; Composites -- Périodiques; Ceramic materials; Composite materials; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2018.09.017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-2219

Abstract

Abstract: Research for high-performance lead-free piezoelectric materials has become an urgent issue from the environmental concern. Very limited attempts on two-step sintering had been made so far. In this study, (K0.45 Na0.55 )0.98 Li0.02 Nb0.76 Ta0.18 Sb0.06 O3 ceramics were prepared by both conventional sintering and two-step sintering. Piezoelectric properties, microstructure and domain structure were found to change significantly with sintering methods and sintering conditions. Two-step sintering was performed in the way that temperature is first quickly raised to 1180 °C, kept for 1 min, then immediately cooled down to 1120 °C and maintained for a desired time length. The effects of dwelling time on piezoelectric performance and microstructure as well as domain structure were investigated. High piezoelectric properties of d 33 = 455 pC/N, k p = 0.54 and k 33 = 0.67 were obtained in a ceramic prepared under the dwelling time of 20 h. This ceramic also possesses a very good piezoelectric thermal-ageing stability over −50 °C–150 °C. Further investigation reveals that this ceramic has a quite uniform grain-size distribution with the average grain size of about 12 μm in microstructure and shows domain patterns of simple parallel stripes with a hierarchical nanodomain structure appearing inside some of broad stripes. The observed excellent piezoelectric performance is considered to associate closely with the unique domain structure.