BiAlO_(3)-modified BiFeO_(3)-BaTiO_(3) high Curie temperature lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with enhanced performance

BiFeO_(3)-BaTiO_(3)(BF-BT)lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have high piezoelectricity and high Curie temperature(T_(C)),but the mixed-valence Fe ions and Bi^(3+)volatilization would promote the formation of Bi_(25)FeO_(40)/Bi_(2)Fe_(4)O_9 and oxygen vacancy,which greatly degrade the insulation properties required for polarization.In this study,it was found that the modification of BiAlO_(3)(BA)in BF-BT ceramics could effectively solve these problems,reducing the leakage current to 1×10^(-9)A·cm^(-2)and transiting the space charge-limited conduction to ohmic conduction.Because of the enhanced insulation properties and appropriate rhombohedral-pseudocubic phase ratio(C_R/C_(PC)),BF-BT-xBA ceramics in an optimized composition obtain enhanced piezoelectric performance:piezoelectric charge coefficient(d_(33))=196 pC·N^(-1),planar electromechanical coupling coefficient(k_(p))=31.1%,T_(C)=487℃and depolarization temperature(T_d)=250°C;unipolar strain(S_(uni))=0.17%and piezoelectric strain coefficient(d_(33)^(*))=335 pm·V^(-1)at 100℃.Especially,d_(33)exceeds 283 pC·N^(-1)at 233℃and d_(33)^(*)is 335 pm·V^(-1)at100℃,showing an excellent high-temperature piezoelectricity and high depolarization temperature.The results are attributed to the domain structure of rhombohedral-pseudocubic phase coexistence and its high-temperature switching behavior.This work provides a feasible and effective approach to improve the high temperature piezoelectric properties of BF-BT-xBA ceramics,making them more suitable for high temperature applications.