Effect of bismuth on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of Pb(1-x)Bi2x/3(Nb0.92Sn0.0375Ti0.0625)2O6 high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics

In this study, Pb(1-x)Bi2x/3(Nb0.92Sn0.0375Ti0.0625)2O6 (PBxNST, x = 0-0.28) ceramics were prepared via the solid-state reaction method. All specimens were indexed as the orthogonal ferroelectric phases, based on the XRD analysis. XPS and EPR results indicated that the introduction of Bi3+ generated the oxygen vacancies, which could promote the densification and improve the piezoelectric performance of the PbNb2O6-based ceramics. In addition, a certain amount of Bi3+ could lead to the ferroelectric phase transition from a normal behavior to a diffused phase transition (DPT). The optimal piezoelectric properties were obtained at x = 0.24, whose d33 = 98 pC/N and kp=0.33, while the effective operating temperature remained well up to 350 degrees C. All experimental results indicated that the introduction of Bismuth was conducive to the improvement of piezoelectric performance.