The effect of composite (Li0.5Nd0.5)2+ ions substitution on microstructure, dielectric behavior and electrical properties of 0.95Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–0.05BaTiO3 ceramics

New lead-free 0.95(Bi0.5Na0.5)1−x(Li0.5Nd0.5)xTiO3–0.05BaTiO3(BNTLNx–BT5) ceramics with x=0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1 have been fabricated by conventional solid-state method. The effect of composite (Li0.5Nd0.5)2+ ions substitution on microstructure, dielectric behavior and electrical properties was investigated. A morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) separating the rhombohedral phases and pseudocubic phases is observed at the compositions x=0.01–0.03. The grain size increases at compositions x=0–0.07 and decreases at composition x=0.1. At room temperature, the frequency dispersion of dielectric constant εr strengthens with increasing x. The temperature stability coefficient fε of dielectric constant εr at T=23–230 °C decreases from 28.35 to 6.18 with increasing x. The ceramics exhibit a largest dispersion coefficient (γ=1.90) and a largest piezoelectric constant (d33=135pC/N) at x=0.07.