Effect of annealing temperature on structural and electrical properties of BCZT ceramics prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering

(Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.10Ti0.90)O3 (BCZT) ceramics were prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS) followed by annealing, and the effect of annealing temperature on structural and electrical properties was investigated. XRD patterns and Raman spectra indicated that all the BCZT ceramics annealed at different temperatures exhibited MPB structure consisting of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. A strong dependence of piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties on annealing temperature was observed in the annealed BCZT ceramics. With increasing annealing temperature, the Curie temperature shifted toward lower temperature, while the activation energy of both grains and grain boundaries decreased gradually. BCZT ceramics annealed at the optimum temperature of 1400 °C exhibited the best properties of d33 = 501 pC/N, εm = 14000 and Pr = 18.1 μC/cm2.