Dielectric and Piezoelectric Properties in Mn‐Modified (1− x )BiFeO 3 – x BaTiO 3 Ceramics

In the current work, the bulk (1− x )BiFeO 3 – x BaTiO 3 system has been studied as a potential lead‐free piezoelectric material. Barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) in solid solution with bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) is observed to stabilize the perovskite structure and improve switching behavior. Samples with various content of BaTiO 3 were prepared via solid‐state route, and pure perovskite phase was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction. Modification of the BaTiO 3 –BiFeO 3 material with Mn improved DC resistivity by one to five orders of magnitude (7.6 × 10 12 vs. 2.7 × 10 7 Ω·m for 25 mol% BaTiO 3 at room temperature) and polarization hysteresis measurements indicated “hard” ferroelectric behavior with the highest strain response at 33 mol% BaTiO 3 . Finally, low‐field piezoelectric d 33 coefficient of 116 pC/N and ferroelectric transition temperature above 450°C are reported for 25 mol% BaTiO 3 composition.