Enhanced energy-storage properties of 0.89Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –0.06BaTiO 3 –0.05K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 lead-free anti-ferroelectric ceramics by two-step sintering method

Abstract This work compared the effects of different sintering methods on the microstructure and anti-ferroelectric properties of lead-free 0.89Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –0.06BaTiO 3 –0.05K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 ternary system ceramics. The ceramics by two-step sintering method had smaller grain size and more uniform microstructure than those of the ceramics by single-step sintering method. The mechanism of grain growth in different sintering methods is discussed. The ceramics by two-step sintering method exhibited better anti-ferroelectricties than those of the ceramics by single-step sintering method. The polarization hysteresis ( P – E ) loop showed optimum electrical performances with a low remanent polarization ( P r =5.4 μC/cm 2 ) and a coercive field ( E c =8.2 kV/cm), and the energy density ( W ) reached 0.90 J/cm 3 at 10 Hz. The storage capacity is three times that of the single-step sintering ceramics.