Low-temperature sintering, structure transition and dielectrical properties of Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 with Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 addition

Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-modified Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 ceramics were prepared by solid state route and their structural and dielectric properties were investigated. The sintering temperature of BCTZ ceramics has been significantly decreased from 1460 °C to 1280 °C with NBT addition. All samples showed a pure perovskite structure and a stable solid solution has been formed between BCTZ and NBT. Some tetragonal phase gradually transformed to rhombohedral or cubic phase with the addition of NBT. Dielectric peak gradually becomes broader, revealing that the diffuser behavior was enhanced. The prominent superimposed loss peaks related to thermally activated relaxation process. The values of activation energy of the relaxation process are 1.034, 1.285, 1.308 and 1.353 eV, which could be associated with the migration of oxygen vacancies.