Dielectric nonlinear properties of BaTiO3–CaTiO3–SrTiO3 ceramics near the solubility limit

Ba1−x−ySryCaxTiO3 (x = 0.2–0.5, and y = 0, 0.05 and 0.1) ceramics were prepared by conventional ceramic method at 1400 °C, and their structural and dielectric properties were characterized near the solubility limit. It was found that the solubility limit lay around x = 0.24 for Ba1−xCaxTiO3 series, x = 0.30 for Ba0.95−xSr0.05CaxTiO3 series, and x = 0.34 for Ba0.9−xSr0.1CaxTiO3 series, respectively. The dielectric constant increased obviously near the solubility limit. Appropriate tunability values (nr = 0.22–0.38) were obtained in the Ba0.95−xSr0.05CaxTiO3 and Ba0.9−xSr0.1CaxTiO3 samples near the solubility limit and in the insoluble area, though the samples contained large fraction of non-ferroelectric phase.