Structural, electrical, and dynamic scaling behavior of Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.10Ti0.90O3 nanoceramics synthesized at low temperature by sonochemical method

In contrast to lead-based materials, lead-free ceramics Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.10Ti0.90O3 (BCZT) offer outstanding dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. A novel sonochemical method is employed to synthesize BCZT at low temperatures. The impact of high-energy acoustic waves reduces the calcination temperature to 600 degrees C, which is 300-400 degrees C lower than the already reported values. The samples are further sintered at different temperatures. The BCZT shows good dielectric properties (epsilon(r) similar to 3000 and tan delta similar to 0.075 at 1 kHz) at room temperature. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the co-existence of tetragonal and orthorhombic phases. Further, the scaling behavior is studied for domain dynamics in the sample. A three-stage polarization reversal mechanism is observed in BCZT ceramics. From the systematic study of the domain reversal mechanism, BCZT appears to be a promising candidate for sensors and actuator applications.