Phase evolution and thermal stability of high Curie temperature BiScO3-PbTiO3-Pb(Cd1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics near MPB

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric ceramics with a high Curie temperature (T-c) have attracted much attention owing to their applications in severe environments. In this work, phase structure and dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of (0.975 - x)BiScO3-xPbTiO(3)-0.025Pb(Cd1/3Nb2/3)O-3 (BS-xPT-PCN) ceramics (x = 0.58-0.64) were studied. A composition-induced structural transformation occurs from the rhombohedral to tetragonal phase through an intermediate monoclinic phase with the increasing PT concentration. The relationship between the structure and electrical properties of the system was discussed. The BS-xPT-PCN system near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) (x = 0.62) exhibits excellent piezoelectric and ferroelectric performances with d(33) = 508 pC/N, k(p) = 56%, and P-r = 40 mu C/cm(2). The high-temperature piezoelectricity of the sample with MPB (x = 0.62) was characterized by an in situ XRD. The excellent thermal stability of the crystal structure and the piezoelectric property indicate that the BS-xPT-PCN system is a promising candidate for high-temperature piezoelectric applications. Published under license by AIP Publishing.