Microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of xBaZr0.2Ti0.8O3-(1 − x)BiFeO3 solid solution ceramics

• BZT-BFO ceramics change from rhombohedral to cubic phase with the increase of BZT.
• The grain size of BZT-BFO ceramics increases initially to the maximum and then decreases.
• Addition of BZT can decrease the dielectric loss and leakage current density.
• As BZT content increases, the remnant polarization of BZT-BFO ceramics increases initially to the maximum and then decreases, and the coercive electric field decreases.

xBaZr0.2Ti0.8O3-(1 − x)BiFeO3 (short for xBZT-(1 − x)BFO) ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO ceramics have been investigated. The crystal structure of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO ceramics change gradually from rhombohedral to cubic structure with the increasing of x. The average grain size of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO (x = 0–0.7) increases initially to the maximum (x = 0.5) and then decreases. The dielectric constant of 0.3BZT-0.7BFO and 0.5BZT-0.5BFO ceramics is more than that of BFO ceramics, and the dielectric constant of BFO and 0.7BZT-0.3BFO ceramics is about the same in the temperature range of 303–423 K. Addition of BZT can decrease the dielectric loss and leakage current density of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO ceramics. As BZT content increases, the remnant polarization of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO ceramics (x = 0–0.7) increases initially to the maximum (x = 0.5) and then decreases, and the coercive field decreases. Moreover, the frequency and temperature dependences of ferroelectricity of xBZT-(1 − x)BFO ceramics is obvious.

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