Influences of Sintering Methods on Microstructure and Physical Property of (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Sb,Ta)O3 Piezoelectric Ceramics

doi:10.15541/jim20180447

Abstract

Abstract:

(K,Na)NbO₃-based ceramics (KNLNST ceramics) are a very promising type of lead-free piezoelectric materials. However, only limited studies were reported on them prepared by two-step sintering. Here, a comparison study was performed between two kinds of (K_0.4425Na_0.52Li_0.0375)(Nb_0.8825Sb_0.08Ta_0.0375)O₃ ceramics that were prepared by either conventional sintering (CS) or two-step sintering (TSS). It was found that TSS largely increases the relative density ρ° and piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ from 95.0% and 363 pC/N of CS to 97.0% and 387 pC/N, respectively. KNLNST ceramics prepared by two kinds of sintering methods show significant differences between microstructure and domain structure. The KNLNST-CS ceramic has small grain sizes but distributed uniformly, and their domain patterns in most grains are simply a group or groups of parallel stripes. In contrast, the KNLNST-CS ceramic has a non-uniform grain-size distribution, with many large grains displaying broad bands, and existing fine strips.

Key words: (K,Na)NbO₃-based ceramics, two-step sintering, piezoelectric property, phase transitions, microstructure, domain structure

CLC Number:

TQ174

ZHANG Xiao-Chen, WANG Xue-Mei, WANG Chun-Lei. Influences of Sintering Methods on Microstructure and Physical Property of (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Sb,Ta)O₃ Piezoelectric Ceramics[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2019, 34(7): 721-726.

Figures/Tables 6

Table 1 Physical property of KNLNST ceramics prepared under different sintering conditions

Sample	Sintering conditions	ρ/(g?cm^-3)	d₃₃/(pC?N^-1)	k_p
CS	1090 ℃, 5 h	4.40	363	0.48
TSS-1	1130 ℃/1050 ℃, 4 h	4.43	369	0.47
TSS-2	1140 ℃/1050 ℃, 4 h	4.44	370	0.43
TSS-3	1150 ℃/1040 ℃, 4 h	4.36	358	0.44
TSS-4	1150 ℃/1050 ℃, 4 h	4.47	387	0.49
TSS-5	1150 ℃/1060 ℃, 4 h	4.42	378	0.48
TSS-6	1160 ℃/1050 ℃, 4 h	4.35	379	0.46

Fig. 1 (a) Room-temperature XRD patterns of the various unpoled KNN ceramics and (b) enlarged parts in (a)

Fig. 2 Temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity ε' of two representative unpoled KNLNST ceramics, prepared by conventional sintering and two-step sintering, respectively. Inset is partially enlarged curves of dielectric temperature peak of the phase transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal phase

Fig. 3 Typical SEM images of domain patterns observed in the two unpoled representative KNLNST ceramics (a) KNLNST-CS ceramic; (b) Partially enlarged view of (a); (c) and (d) KNLNST-TSS ceramic, corresponding to different locations of the same specimen

Fig. 4 (a) Typical SEM image of microstructure and domain pattern of a poled KNLNST-CS ceramic, (b) a partially enlarged image in (a)

Fig. 5 Typical SEM images of microstructure and domain patterns observed in a poled KNLNST-TSS ceramic. (a-c) Correspond to different positions of the same sample; (d) A partial enlarged image in (c)

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Influences of Sintering Methods on Microstructure and Physical Property of (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Sb,Ta)O₃ Piezoelectric Ceramics

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