Enhanced depolarization temperature in 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics induced by BT nanowires

• The Td of 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramic can be enhanced about 20 °C when added BT nanowires.
• BT nanowires can increase the Ec of 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramic from 21.06 kV/cm to 34.99 kV/cm.
• The d33 of 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramic is 172 pC/N when BT nanowires instead of BT solution.

The depolarization temperature (Td) of piezoelectric materials is an important figure of merit for their application at elevated temperatures. This study focuses on the effect of BaTiO3 (BT) nanowires on Td and piezoelectric properties of morphotropic-phase-boundary 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics. The results reveal that BaTiO3 nanowires can pin the domain wall, leading to the increase of coercive field (Ec) from 21.06 kV/cm to 34.99 kV/cm. The Td value of 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics can be enhanced approximately 20 °C when using BT nanowires instead of BT solution as the raw material. Meanwhile, at the same polarization conditions, the piezoelectric constant of the ceramic added BT nanowires (172 pC/N) is decreased but still remains a larger value compared with those of other lead-free ceramics. The results imply that the addition of BT nanowires into NBT–KBT is a very effective route to improve Td.