Effect of Pr3+ Addition on the Electrical Properties of 0.94(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.06(Ba0.9Ca0.1)TiO3 Ceramic Obtained by Pechini Method

Abstract The influence of Pr 3+ addition on the structure and electrical properties of (Bi,Na)TiO 3 -(Ba,Ca)TiO 3 solid solution was investigated. In this work, 0.94(Bi 0.5− x Na 0.5 )TiO 3 -0.06(Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 )TiO 3 : x Pr 3+ (BNBCT6: x Pr) with x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mol% ceramics were prepared via a polymeric complex synthesis (Pechini method). Optimal sintering parameters were chosen in order to obtain dense ceramic microstructures. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of a perovskite-like structure in all the synthetized powders and sintered samples. As Pr 3+ content increased, a large reduction in grain size was observed. BNBCT6: x Pr ceramics showed a phase transition from the field-induced ferroelectric to the relaxor phase at ~ 110 °C and a local maximum around 250 °C. Dielectric permittivity was reduced as Pr 3+ doping increased. For x = 0.5 mol%, maximum piezoelectric values ( d 33 = 115 pC/N, − d 31 = 27 pC/N, k p = 25%, and k t = 34%) were obtained, while for x = 0.7 mol%, ferroelectric characteristics ( P r = 14 µC/cm 2 , and E c = 34.7 kV/cm) were enhanced. Bulk conductivities extracted from the impedance spectra for BNBCT6: x Pr were low, consistent with the insulating characteristic of (Bi,Na)TiO 3 . The achieved electrical properties suggest that BNBCT6: x Pr ceramics are a potential candidate for energy transition applications.