3O3-doping on structural, thermal, optical, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics (original) (raw)

2017, Journal of Applied Physics

Low-lead (1-x)BT-xPZN (x ¼ 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.10, 0.125, and 0.15) ceramics were successfully synthesized by the spark-plasma-sintering method for the first time. Their phase transition behavior as well as structural, thermal, optical, and electrical properties was investigated. These materials exhibit the structure of perovskite-type solid solutions and undergo a sequence of phase transitions, typical of pure BaTiO 3 (BT). The dielectric test results revealed that with the increase in the PbZn 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 (PZN) content, the frequency dispersion of electric permittivity increases, whilst the dielectric/ferroelectric properties tend to deteriorate, which is characteristic of relaxor-type behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that these ceramics progressively lack long-range ordering. These effects are due to the competition between lone-pair electrons' induced changes in the A-O band upon Pb 2þ addition and ionic size differences. In general, the transition temperatures observed by dielectric analyses are in good agreement with those obtained from X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The BT-PZN system may help to understand why relaxor behavior appears in perovskite-based materials. It appears that these materials can become a good starting point for the development of new low-lead electronic ceramics.