Excellent Energy Storage Performance in Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-based Lead-free Relaxor Ferroelectric Ceramics

doi:10.15541/jim20260230

Abstract

Abstract: Lead-free dielectric ceramics with superior energy storage performance are considered ideal materials for the next-generation of advanced pulsed power capacitors. Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-based lead-free dielectric ceramics, as an emerging ferroelectric material, exhibit large spontaneous polarization but face challenges such as large polarization hysteresis and a low breakdown field (E_b), making it challenging to simultaneously achieve a high recoverable energy density (W_rec) and a high energy storage efficiency (η). In this work, 0.6Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-0.1NaNbO₃-(0.3-x)BaTiO₃-xSrTiO₃ lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method, and their phase structure, microstructure, band gap, dielectric properties, energy storage performance, and their temperature and frequency stability were investigated. The results show that based on a high-energy ball milling process, introducing the linear dielectric SrTiO₃ significantly refined the grain size from several hundred nanometers to approximately 61 nm and maintained a dense microstructure, effectively enhancing the breakdown field. Meanwhile, the increase in compositional disorder reduced the dielectric constant and significantly improved the relaxor behavior, achieving low polarization hysteresis even under high electric fields. Therefore, through the synergistic optimization strategy of grain refinement and enhanced relaxor behavior, the ceramic composition with x=0.15 achieved both high W_rec=9.8 J/cm³ and excellent η=89.3% under E_b=60 kV/mm, representing a remarkable performance in the energy storage performance of Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-based lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics. In addition, this composition exhibited good temperature stability (20-160 ℃, W_rec=(3.7±0.1) J/cm³, η=(88.6±3.2)%) and frequency stability (10-200 Hz, W_rec=(3.4±0.2) J/cm³, η=(87.3±3.9)%) under electric field of 0.5E_b. These results indicate that 0.6Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-0.1NaNbO₃-0.15BaTiO₃-0.15SrTiO₃ lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics are high-performance energy storage dielectric materials with great application potential and competitiveness.

Key words: lead-free ceramics, relaxor ferroelectric, energy storage performance, fine grain, Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃

CLC Number:

TQ174

CHEN Liang, YAN Qi-Ya, WANG Rui-Yu, ZHANG Ying, CHEN Jun. Excellent Energy Storage Performance in Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-based Lead-free Relaxor Ferroelectric Ceramics[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20260230.

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Excellent Energy Storage Performance in Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃-based Lead-free Relaxor Ferroelectric Ceramics

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