Ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of BiScO3-PbTiO3-Pb(Cd1/3Nb2/3)O3 ternary high temperature piezoelectric ceramics

(0.95-x) BiScO3-xPbTiO(3)-0.05Pb(Cd1/3Nb2/3)O-3 (BS-xPT-PCN) high temperature piezoelectric ceramics near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) have been synthesized by traditional solidstate reaction methods. The microstructural morphology, phase structure, and electrical properties of BS-xPT-PCN ceramics were investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated BS-xPTPCN ceramics have a pure perovskite structure. The coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases at MPB composition enhanced the polarizability by the coupling between two dynamically equivalent energy states, resulting in the improved piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties at MPB vicinity. The BS-xPT-PCN (x = 0.60) ceramics possess the optimal piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties with d(33) = 505pC/N, k(p) = 55.9%, k(t) = 36.5%, strain = 0.23% (under the electric field 37.5 kV/cm), and P-r = 39.7 mu C/cm(2). High temperature dielectric behaviors showed diffuse phase transition in BS-xPT-PCN ceramics. The Curie temperature T-c was found to increase from 371 degrees C to 414 degrees C with x increasing from 0.58 to 0.62. All these results together with the good thermal stabilities make the BS-xPT-PCN ceramics promising candidates for high temperature piezoelectric applications. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.