• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.527-532
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• 2014

$0.97Bi_{0.5+x}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5-3x}TiO_3-0.03LaFeO_3$ lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were fabricated by a solid state reaction method. $LaFeO_3$ additives were added to $Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5}TiO_3$ for volatile compensation of bismuth and sodium ions in the sintering process. To create A-site vacancies, the mole ratio and charge valence of A-site ions ($Bi^{3+}$, $Na^+$ and $K^+$) were controlled. The improved piezoelectric properties were observed by addition of $LaFeO_3$ and control of A-site vacancies. In particular, a $d_{33}^*(S_{max}/E_{max})$ value of 614pm/V and an electric field induced strain of 0.33% was observed in $0.97Bi_{0.505}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.485}TiO_3-0.03LaFeO_3$ ceramic.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.803-808
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• 2014

$Bi_{0.5+x}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5-3x}TiO_3$ ceramics with an excess $Bi^{3+}$ and a deficiency of $Na^+$ and $K^+$ were synthesized by a conventional solid state reaction method. The structure and morphology of $Bi_{0.5+x}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5-3x}TiO_3$ ceramics were characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electric polarization and mechanical strain induced by external electric field, and the temperature dependence of dielectric constant were investigated. These results demonstrated that an ergodic relaxor phase can be induced by controls of the mole ratio of $Bi^{3+}$, $Na^+$ and $K^+$. A phase boundary between non-ergodic and ergodic relaxor phases can be observed at ambient temperature. The ergodic relaxor phase can be transferred to the ferroelectric phase by application of the electric field. The stability of the induced ferroelectric phases strongly depends on the mole ratio of $Bi^{3+}$, $Na^+$ and $K^+$. The maximum strain of 0.31% was observed in $Bi_{0.51}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.47}TiO_3$ ceramics sintered at $1,150^{\circ}C$ for 2 h.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.764-768
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• 2016

To investigate excess $Na^+$ effect, $Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.78+x}K_{0.22})_{0.5}TiO_3$ ($0{\leq}x{\leq}0.05$) (BNKT) ceramics were prepared by using a conventional solid-state reaction method. The structure and ferroelectric properties of BNKT ceramics were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and polarization dependence by external electric field. Also, the temperature dependence of dielectric constant and loss were studied. From these results, it was found that appropriate excess $Na^+$ into BNKT ceramics compensate the volatility and induce dense ceramics. The enhanced piezoelectric coefficient (158 pC/N) and depolarization temperature ($202^{\circ}C$) were obtained for the x=0.01 composition.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.157-161
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• 2017

$(1-x)Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5}TiO_3-xLaFeO_3$ ceramics were fabricated using a solid state reaction method. The microstructural, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and polarization hysteresis loops (P-E). XRD results indicated that BNKT ceramic crystal structure modified by $LaFeO_3$ was transformed from a ferroelectric tetragonal to a non-polar pesudo-cubic phase with increased $LaFeO_3$ content. The improved piezoelectric properties resulted from the addition of $LaFeO_3$ up to 3 mol%. The $LaFeO_3$ 3mol% sample showed markedly improved piezoelectric and strain behaviors in comparison with pure BNKT ceramic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.15-22
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• 2023

BNKT Ceramics, one of the representative Pb free based piezoelectric ceramics, constitutes a perovskite(ABO3) structure. At this time, the perovskite structure (ABO3) is in the form where the corners of the octahedrons are connected, and in the unit cell, two ions, A and B, are cations, A ion is located at the body center, B ion is located at each corner, and an anion O is located at the center of each side. Since Bi, Na, and K sources constituting the A site are highly volatile at a sintering temperature of 1100℃ or higher, it is difficult to maintain uniformity of the composition. In order to solve this problem, there should be suppression of volatilization of the A site material or additional compensation of the volatilized. In this study, the basic composition of BNKT Ceramics was set to Bi_0.5(Na_0.78K_0.22)_0.5TiO₃ (= BNKT), and volatile site (Bi, Na, and K sources) were coated in the form of a shell to compensate additionally for the A site ions. In addition, the physical and electrical properties of BNKT and its coated with shell additives(= @BNK) were compared and analyzed, respectively. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure through XRD, both BNKT(Core) and @BNK(Shell) had perovskite phases, and the crystallinity was almost similar. Although the Curie temperature of the two sintered bodies was almost the same (TC = 290 ~ 300 ℃), it was confirmed that the d33 (piezoelectric coefficient) and Pr (residual polarization) values were different. The experimental results indicated that the additional compensation for a shell additive causes the coarsening, resulting in a decrease in sintering density and Pr(remanent polarization). However, coating shell additives to compensate for A site ion is an effective way to suppress volatilization. Based on these experimental results, it would be the biggest advantage to develop an eco-friendly material (Lead-free) that replaced lead (Pb), which is harmful to the human body. This lead-free piezoelectric material can be applied to a biomedical device or products(ex. earphones (hearing aids), heart rate monitors, ultrasonic vibrators, etc.) and skin beauty improvement products (mask packs for whitening and wrinkle improvement).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.337-343
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• 2020

This study investigated the low temperature sintering with various templates of Bi-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The effects of using CuO-coated Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates on the sintering behavior as well as the dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of Bi_1/2(Na_0.78K_0.22)_1/2TiO₃ (BNKT) ceramics have been examined. In comparison with the specimens sintered with the Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates without CuO coating, those sintered with the CuO-coated Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates showed larger template sizes as well as a larger electric field induced strain (S_max/E_max) of 422 pm/V after sintering at temperatures as low as 975℃. These results are promising for low-cost multilayer ceramic actuator applications.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.707-711
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• 2014

The $0.99Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5}TiO_3-0.01LaAlO_3$, $0.01LaMnO_3$ or $0.01LaFeO_3$ (0.99BNKT-0.01LA, 0.01LM or 0.01LF) ceramics were prepared by a conventional mixed mothod. The structure and morphology of the lead free ceramics were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy). XRD results indicated that the BNKT ceramics modified by LA, LM or LF induced a transition from a ferroelectric tetragonal to a non-polar pseudo-cubic phase, leading to decrease in the remnant polarization ($P_r$) and coercive field ($E_c$) in the P-E hysterisis loops. The effects of the BNKT ceramics modified by La-based $ABO_3$ pervskite structure on the electric-field induced strain were investigated, and the largest normalized unipolar strain ($S_{max}/E_{max}$) was found in BNKT-0.01LF ceramic.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2015

$Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.78}K_{0.22})_{0.5}TiO_3$ (BNKT) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics modified by $LaMnO_3$ (LM) were fabricated by conventional solid-state method. The crystal structure and the morphology of the lead free ceramics were analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy). The LM modified BNKT ceramics have a phase transition from ferroelectric tetragonal to non-polar pseudo-cubic. Despite decreases in the remnant polarization ($P_r$) and coercive field ($E_c$) in the P-E hysteresis loops, the electric-field induced strain properties were significantly enhanced by the LM modification. The highest value of $S_{max}/E_{max}=412pm/V$ at an applied electric field of 5 kV/mm was found in BNKT-0.01LM ceramic.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.342-347
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• 2016

We investigated the effect of $Bi_{1/2}(Na_{0.82}K_{0.18})_{1/2}TiO_3$ (BNKT) modification on the ferroelectric and electric-field-induced strain (EFIS) properties of lead-free $0.97Bi_{1/2}(Na_{0.82}K_{0.18})_{1/2}TiO_3-0.03LaFeO_3$ (BNKTLF) ceramics as a function of BNKT content (x= 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 1). BNKT-modified BNKTLF powders were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method. As the BNKT content x increased from 0 to 1 the normalized electric-field-induced strain ($S_{max}/E_{max}$) was observed to increase at relatively low fields, i.e., below the poling field. Moreover, BNKTLF-30BNKT showed about 460 pm/V as low as at 3 kV/mm, which is a considerably high value among the lead-free systems reported so far. Consequently, it was confirmed that ceramic-ceramic composite, a mixture of an ergodic relaxor matrix and embedded ferroelectric seeds, is a salient way to make lead-free piezoelectrics practical with enhanced EFIS at low field as well as less hysterical.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.505-512
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• 2023

This study investigated crystal structures, microstructures, and electric-field-induced strain (EFIS) properties of Bi-based lead-free ferroelectric/relaxor composites. Bi_1/2Na_0.82K_0.18)_1/2TiO₃ (BNKT) as a ferroelectric material and 0.78Bi_1/2(Na_0.78K_0.22)_1/2TiO₃-0.02LaFeO₃ (BNKT2LF) as a relaxor material were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method, and the resulting BNKT2LF powders were subjected to high-energy ball milling (HEBM) after calcination. As a result, HEBM proved a larger average grain size of sintered samples compared to conventional ball milling (CBM). In addition, the increased sintering time led to grain growth. Furthermore, HEBM treatment and sintering time demonstrated a significant effect on EFIS of BNKT/BNKT2LF composites. At 6 kV/mm, 0.35% of the maximum strain (S_max) was observed in the HEBM sample sintered for 12 h. The unipolar strain curves of CBM samples were almost linear, indicating almost no phase transitions, while HEBM samples displayed phase transitions at 5~6 kV/mm for all sintering time levels, showing the highest S_max/E_max value of 700 pm/V. These results indicated that HEBM treatment with a long sintering time might significantly enhance the electromechanical strain properties of BNT-based ceramics.