Enhanced Piezoelectric Properties of (1-x)[0.675BiFeO3-0.325BaTiO3]-xLiTaO3 Ternary System by Air-Quenching

Lead free $(1-x)(0.675BiFeO_3-0.325BaTiO_3)-xLiTaO_3$ (BFBTLT, x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03, with 0.6 mol% $MnO_2$ and 0.4 mol% CuO) were prepared by a solid state reaction method, followed by air quenching and their crystalline phase, morphology, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were explored. An X-ray diffraction study indicates that lithium (Li) and tantalum (Ta) were fully incorporated in the BFBT materials with the absence of any secondary phases. Dense ceramic samples (> 92 %) with a wide range of grain sizes from $3.70{\mu}m$ to $1.82{\mu}m$ were obtained in the selected compositions ($0{\leq}x{\leq}0.03$) of BFBTLT system. The maximum temperatures ($T_{max}$) were mostly higher than $420^{\circ}C$ in the studied composition range. The maximum values of maximum polarization ($P_{max}{\approx}31.01{\mu}C/cm^2$), remnant polarization ($P_{rem}{\approx}22.82{\mu}C/cm^2$) and static piezoelectric constant ($d_{33}{\approx}145pC/N$) were obtained at BFBT-0.01LT composition with 0.6 mol% $MnO_2$ and 0.4 mol% CuO. This study demonstrates that the high $T_{max}$ and $d_{33}$ for BFBTLT ceramics are favorable for industrial applications.