Phase Transition and High Piezoactivity of Sb Doped （Na0.53K0.435Li0.035）Nb0.94Ta0.06 O3 Lead-Free Ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with the composition of （Na0.53K0.435Li0.035）Nb0.94Ta0.06 O3 （NKLNST） axe synthesized by a conventional solid-state sintering process. An MPB-like region between orthorhombic and pseudocubic phases is found in this system. The density, piezoelectric and dielectric properties axe enhanced greatly in this region. A composition （Na0.53K0.435Li0.035）（Nb0.94Ta0.06）O3 is found to have excellent electrical properties： d33 = 320pC/N, kp= 49% and kt =43%, as well as relatively low loss, tan δ=4.2%, and high relative density higher than 96%, which indicate that this ceramics is a promising lead-free piezoceramics replacing for lead zirconate titanate.     

KNN Based Lead-Free Piezoceramics with Improved Thermal Stability

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics （1 - x） （Na0.53K0.404 Li0.066）Nb0.92 Sb0.08 03 ＋xZrTiO3 are fabricated by conventional solid-state sintering method, and their dielectric and piezoelectric characteristics are investigated. With the addition of SrTiO3, the growth of the grain size is restrained, meanwhile the phase transition temperature of orthorhombic-tetragonal is shifted below room temperature. It is found that the ceramics with x = 0.010 exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties （d33 = 220 pC/N, kp = 41%, kt = 39%） and improved thermal stability around room temperature. The results indicate that these materials are promising lead-free piezoceramics for practical operations.     

Phase Transition and High Piezoactivity of Sr Doped Lead-Free （Na0.53K0.422Li0.048） （Nb0.89Sb0.06Wa0.05）O3 Ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics （Na0.53K0.422Li0.048 ） （Nb0.89Sb0.06 Ta0.05 ）03 （NKLNST） ＋ x tool SrCO3 are prepared by conventional solid state sintering method. The specimens with pure perovskite structure show tetragonal phase at x 〈 0.01, and become pseudo-cubic phase at x 〉 0.02. A lattice parameter discontinuity is found in the specimens with 0.004 〈 x 〈 0.0075, along with a great improvement in piezoactivity. The 0.004 mol SrCO3 added NKLNST ceramics possesses outstanding performances of kp = 0.53, kt = 0.26, and d33=309 pC/N. Moreover, the Sr^2＋ modification inhibits the gra/n growth, decreases the Curie temperature, and induces a diffuse phase transition.     

Effects of Li Substitution and Sintering Temperature on Properties of Bi0.5（Na,K）0.5TiO3 Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

Bi0.5 （Na0.72K0.28- x Lix ）0.5 TiO3 （BNKLT- 100x） lead-free piezoelectric ceramics are synthesized by conventional solid state sintering techniques. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the BNKLT-100x ceramics as a function of Li content are systematically investigated. It is found that not only Li content but also the sintering temperature has a strong effect on the piezoelectric properties of BNKLT. The piezoelectric constant d33 Of BNKLT varies from 120 to 252pC/N in the Li content range from 0.03 to 0.16. In the sintering temperature range from 1080 to 1130℃, the d33 value of BNKLT-6 changes from 200pC/N to 252pC/N. The BNKLT-6 sample sintered at 1100℃ has the highest piezoelectric constant d33 of 252pC/N, with the electromechanical coupling factors kp of 0.32 and kt of 0.44.     

Relaxor Behaviour and Ferroelectric Properties of （Li0.12Na0.88） （Nb0.9-xWa0.10Sbx）O3 Lead-Free Ceramics

New lead-free ceramics （Lio.12Na0.88） （Nbo.9-x Ta0.10 Sbx） 03 （0.01 × 0.06） are synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramics are studied. The dielectric constant dependence with temperature and frequency of the ceramic specimen with x = 0.04 shows typical characteristics of relaxor ferroelectrics, and the Vogel-Fulcher relationship is fulfilled. The dielectric behaviour and its relation to the phase transition phenomena are discussed. The polarization hysteresis loops at room temperature are also measured.     

Phase Structures of （K0.48Na0.52）0.945Li0.055Sb0.05Nb0.95O3 Piezoceramics

The phase structures of lead-free （K0.48Na0.52）0.945Li0.055Sb0.05Nb0.95O3 piezoceramics are studied based on the measurements of ferroelectric and dielectric properties as well as the analyses of x-ray diffraction pattern and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The poled samples exhibit orthorhombic structure whereas the surface and interior for unpoled samples exhibit tetragonal and tetragonal-orthorhombic coexistent structures, respectively. These results are in agreement with the relative permittivity-temperature curves and demonstrate that phase transitions can be induced by Na volatilization and poling process. The remnant polarization Pr measured at 20°C increases continuously with the increase of electric field in the range of 2000-4000V/mm. This indicates that the polymorphic structure is more beneficial to the rotation or reorientation of dipoles than either the orthorhombic or the tetragonal structure. The randomly oriented domains may be the essential reason for the continuous rotation or reorientation and not good thermal stability.     

The electronic structures,Born effective charge tensors,and phonon properties of cubic,tetragonal,orthorhombic,and rhombohedral K0.5Na0.5NbO3： A first-principles comparative study

The electronic structures, Born effective charges（BECs）, and full phonon dispersions of cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 are investigated by the first principles method based on density functional theory.The hybridized states of Nb 4d and O 2p states are observed in the valence band, showing the formation of a strong Nb–O covalent bond which should be responsible for the displacement of Nb and O atoms. The abnormally large BECs of Nb and O indicate the possibility of phase instability induced by the off-center displacement of Nb and O atoms. The phonon dispersions reveal that the ferroelectric instability of K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 is dominated by Nb and O displacements with significant Na characteristics. In addition to the ferroelectric instability, there is also rotational instability coming from the oxygen octahedra rotation around one axis. Moreover, the Γ phonon properties of orthorhombic KNb O3, Na Nb O3, and K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 are also studied in detail.     

High Solubility of Hetero-Valence Ion （Cu^2＋） for Reducing Phase Transition and Thermal Expansion of ZrV1.6P0.4O7

Large thermal expansion at room temperature and high phase transition temperature of ZrV2O7 limit its practical applications and are reduced by the high solubility of hetero-valence ion （Cu^2＋） on the basis of an equal-valence substitution of P^5＋ for V^5＋. The temperature-dependent Raman spectra show that Zr0.9CU0.1V1.6P0.4O6.9 maintains a normal parent cubic structure till 173 K and transforms to a 3 × 3 × 3 cubic superstructure below 173K. Temperature dependent x-ray diffraction patterns of Zr0.9CU0.1V1.6P0.4O6.9 show near zero and negative thermal expansion. High solubility of lower valence Cu^2＋ relates to an equal-valence substitution of smaller pH for P^5＋, which extends the bond angle of V（P）-O-V in ZrV1.6P0.4O7 close to 180°. The change of microstructure is considered to be responsible for reduced phase transition temperature and thermal expansion.     

Effects of A-site non-stoichiometry on the structural and electrical properties of 0.96K0.5Na0.5NbO3- 0.04LiSbO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Effects of A-site non-stoichiometry on the structural and electrical properties of 0.96K0.5+xNa0.5+xNbO3- 0.04LiSbO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were examined for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.02. The piezoelectric coefficients exhibited a maximum, d33 = 187 pC/N at x = 0.0075, coinciding with the maximum of the grain size and the apparent density at x = 0.0075. The apparent density and the piezoelectric coefficients decreased with increasing x at higher x which was likely due to the crystal geometrical distortion of 0.96K0.5+xNa0.5+xNbO3-0.04LiSbO3. In addition, super-large grains were found and this may be due to liquid phase sintering. Excess (K++Na+) attracted a sum of space charges to keep the charge neutral, resulting in charge leakage during the course of ceramic polarization, influencing the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties. These findings are of importance for guiding the design of K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based lead-free ceramics with enhanced electrical properties.     

Large magnetic entropy change in weberite-type oxides Gd3MO7(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)

In the present work,the structure,magnetic properties,and cryogenic magnetocaloric effect of weberite-type oxides Gd₃MO₇(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)are reported through powder X-ray diffraction,bulk susceptibility,and heat capacity measurements,as well as scaling law analysis and a mean-field approach.A remarkably large isothermal magnetic entropy change of 354.0 m J K^-1cm^-3is observed for Gd₃SbO₇under an external field of 9 T at 2.0 K.The relative cooling power is estimated to be 618.9 J kg^-1(4.8 J cm^-3)for an applied field of 8.9 T,with the largest adiabatic temperature change being 22.4 K at 6.3 K.The magnetocaloric performance of these oxides is quite impressive when compared with the benchmark magnetic refrigerant,gadolinium gallium garnet(Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂,GGG).Therefore,Gd₃MO₇(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)are promising alternatives for cryogenic cooling techniques,especially for the magnetic liquefaction of helium.     

Phase transition behavior and piezoelectric properties of low-Li and high-Sb modified KNN based piezoceramics

(Na_0.5K_0.5)_0.975Li_0.025Nb_0.82−xSb_xTa_0.18O₃ lead-free piezoceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state sintering method. All samples possess a pure perovskite phase, and no secondary phase could be certified. The crystal structure changes from tetragonal to pseudo-cubic with increasing amount of Sb. The ferroelectric Curie temperature (T_c) shifts to lower temperature while the tetragonal to orthorhombic phase transition temperature (T_o-t) shows no obvious change with increasing Sb⁵⁺. Enhanced piezoelectric and electromechanical properties are obtained with x=0.06: d₃₃=352 pC/N, k_p=47% and k_t=38%, showing that they could be promising candidates as lead-free piezoelectric materials.     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of non-stoichiometric (K0.5Na0.5)(Nb0.9+xTa0.1)O3 ceramics

In the study, in order to develop the lead-free piezoelectric ceramics for actuator, transformer and other electronic-devices application, (K_0.5Na_0.5)(Nb_0.9+xTa_0.1)O₃ + 0.5 mol% CuO + 0.2 mol% MnO₂ ceramics were prepared by conventional mixed oxide method. The effects of B-site non-stoichiometry in [(K_0.5Na_0.5)] [(Nb_0.9+xTa_0.1)O₃] ceramics on microstructure and piezoelectric properties were investigated. The density, electromechanical coupling factor (k_p), mechanical quality factor (Q_m), piezoelectric constant (d₃₃), T_C and T_O-T of NKNT ceramics with x = 0.0065 showed the optimum values of 4.58 g/cm³, 0.427, 1554, 109 pC/N, 373 °C and 226 °C, respectively, suitable for piezoelectric motor, and transformer applications.     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of Fe2O3-doped (Na0.5K0.5)0.96Li0.04Nb0.86Ta0.1Sb0.04O3 lead-free ceramics

The effect of a small amount Fe₂O₃ (0.1-2 mol%) doping on the electrical properties of (Na_0.5K_0.5)_0.96Li_0.04Nb_0.86Ta_0.1Sb_0.04O₃ (NKLNTS) ceramics was investigated. It was found that the B-site substitution of Fe³⁺ does not change the crystal structure within the studied doping level and all modified ceramics have a pure tetragonal perovskite structure at room temperature. The addition of Fe₂O₃ can promote the sintering of NKLNTS ceramics, and simultaneously cause the grain growth so that Fe³⁺-doped NKLNTS compositions show degraded densification at higher doping level. Furthermore, the dielectric properties of the NKLNTS ceramics do not show a significant change by Fe₂O₃ doping. However, the addition of Fe₂O₃ was found to have a significant influence on the electric fatigue resistance and the durability against water. The presence of oxygen vacancies caused by the replacement of Fe³⁺ for B-site ions makes the NKLNTS ceramics harder.     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of lead-free (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3-SrTiO3 ceramics

In this article, we report successful preparation of dense [(Na_0.5K_0.5)_1−xSr_x](Nb_1−xTi_x)O₃ (x=0.005-0.100) ceramics by ordinary sintering in air. The dependence of phase structure on doping content of SrO and TiO₂ has been determined by the X-ray diffraction technique. It was found that the crystal structure changed from orthorhombic to tetragonal at x≈0.040. Dielectric study revealed that the dielectric relaxor behavior was induced by doping of SrO and TiO₂ into (Na_0.5K_0.5)NbO₃. The samples in the composition range from x=0.005 to 0.020 exhibited excellent electrical properties, piezoelectric constant of electromechanical planar and thickness coupling coefficients of k_p=26.6-32.5% and k_t=39.8-43.8%. The results show that the [(Na_0.5K_0.5)_1−xSr_x](Nb_1−xTi_x)O₃ ceramics are one of the promising lead-free materials for electromechanical transducer applications.     

Phase transition and electrical properties of (K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>)(Nb<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Ta<Subscript>x</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

(K_0.5Na_0.5)(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₃ lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been prepared by an ordinary sintering technique. The results of X-ray diffraction reveal that Ta⁵⁺ diffuses into the K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ lattices to form a solid solution with an orthorhombic perovskite structure. Because of the high melting temperature of KTaO₃, the (K_0.5Na_0.5)(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₃ ceramics can be sintered at higher temperatures. The partial substitution of Ta⁵⁺ for the B-site ion Nb⁵⁺ decreases both paraelectric/cubic–ferroelectric/tetragonal and ferroelectric/tetragonal–ferroelectric/orthorhombic phase transition temperatures, T_C and T_O-T. It also induces a relaxor phase transition and weakens the ferroelectricity of the ceramics. The ceramics become ‘softened’, leading to improvements in d₃₃, k_p, k_t and ε_r and a decease in E_c, Q_m and N_p. The ceramics with x=0.075–0.15 become optimum, having d₃₃=127–151 pC/N, k_p=0.43–0.44, k_t=0.43–0.44, ε_r=541–712, tanδ=1.75–2.48% and T_C=378–329 °C. PACS 77.65.-j; 77.84.Dy; 77.84.-s     

Effects of composition on phase structure and electrical properties of (K0.5Na0.5)0.90Li0.06Sr0.02Nb(1−x)SbxO3 ceramics

Lead-free (K_0.5Na_0.5)_0.90Li_0.06Sr_0.02Nb_(1−x)Sb_xO₃ (KNLSN-Sb_x) ceramics were synthesized by ordinary sintering technique. The compositional dependence of phase structure and electrical properties of the ceramics was systematically investigated. All samples possessed pure perovskite structure, showing room temperature symmetries of orthorhombic at x<0.01, coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases at x=0.01, and tetragonal at 0.02≤x≤0.05. The temperature of the polymorphic phase transition (PPT) was shifted to lower temperature and dielectric relaxor behavior was induced by increasing Sb content. The samples near the coexistence region (x=0.01) exhibited enhanced electrical properties: d₃₃∼145 pC/N, k_p∼38% and P_r∼20.4 μC/cm².     

Lead-free KNLNT piezoelectric ceramics for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer application

This paper presents the latest development of a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic and its application to transducers suitable for high-frequency ultrasonic imaging. A lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with formula of (K_0.5Na_0.5)_0.97Li_0.03(Nb_0.9 Ta_0.1)O₃ (abbreviated as KNLNT-0.03/0.10) was fabricated and characterized. The material was found to have a clamped dielectric constant ε₃₃^S/ε₀ = 890, piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ = 245 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor k_t = 0.42 and Curie temperature T_c > 300 °C. High-frequency (40 MHz) ultrasound transducers were successfully fabricated with the lead-free material. A representative lead-free transducer had a bandwidth of 45%, two-way insertion loss of -18 dB. This performance is comparable to reported performances of popular lead-based transducers. The comparison results suggest that the lead-free piezoelectric material may serve as an alternative to lead-based piezoelectric materials for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer applications.