Effect of composition fluctuation on structural and electrical properties of BZT-xBCT ceramics prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering

Lead-free [Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3, BZT-xBCT] ceramics were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS). The effect of composition fluctuation on structural and electrical properties of BZT-xBCT ceramics was investigated. It was found PAS can obtain compact BZT-xBCT ceramics and BZT-0.50BCT ceramic possessed a MPB structure consisting of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed two contributions from grains and grain boundaries, and the ceramics showed typical characteristic of diffuse phase transition. As compared with the BZT-xBCT ceramics with the pseudo-cubic phase, PAS-ed BZT-0.50BCT ceramic exhibited better properties of d33 = 127 pC/N, kp = 25.1%, εr = 2614, εm = 6655, and 2Pr = 25.2 μC/cm2 due to the existence of the MPB structure.