Enhanced piezoelectric performance and temperature stability of BaSnO3-modified (K, Na)NbO3-based ceramics
摘要
KNN-based ceramics encounter significant challenges in practical applications due to temperature-dependent instability originating from polymorphic phase transitions. Addressing these challenges requires simultaneous enhancement of piezoelectric performance and mitigation of thermal sensitivity. Here, we report a strategy for optimizing the R–T phase boundary in lead-free (0.97-x)K0.5Na0.5Nb0.96Sb0.04O3-xBaSnO3-0.03Bi0.5Na0.5ZrO3 ceramics through precise phase content regulation. The coexistence of R–T phases reduces elastic energy and internal stress, thereby facilitating domain wall motion which ultimately leads to enhanced piezoelectric performance reaching the level of 367 pC/N. The KNNS-BNZ-xBS ceramic system demonstrated markedly enhanced thermal stability in piezoelectric coefficient (d33), maintaining a minimal variation below 8% throughout the broad operational temperature spectrum of 30–250 °C. This remarkable stability improvement originates from the optimized BaSnO3 doping-induced diffuse phase transition behavior. Moreover, the KNNS-BNZ-xBS ceramics demonstrated remarkable electromechanical coupling coefficients, achieving 47% for the planar mode (kp) and 45% for the thickness mode (kt), while exhibiting exceptional temperature stability with minimal variation rates of 20% and 19% over a broad operational temperature range (30–250 °C), respectively. This investigation provides valuable insights for designing environmentally benign piezoelectric materials combining high performance with thermal reliability.