Structural, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of xBiFeO3–(1−x)BaTi0.9Zr0.1O3 ceramics

Effect of BiFeO3 (BFO) content on the microstructure and electrical properties of BaTi0.9Zr0.1O3 (BTZ) ceramics prepared by the solid-state reaction technique was investigated. X-ray diffraction analyses show that BFO diffused into the lattice of BTZ to form a solid solution with perovskite structure. The relative density of the BTZ ceramics is increased by the introduction of BFO. The dielectric study reveals that the dielectric constant and the average dielectric loss of the solid solution decreased simultaneously with an increase in BFO content. The materials undergo a diffuse type ferroelectric phase transition. The diffusivity increases with increase in BFO contents in the studied composition range. On the other hand, the piezoelectric coefficient and electromechanical coupling coefficient decrease simultaneously with increasing the BFO content, whereas the mechanical quality factor increases gradually. The structure–property relationship and the mechanism associated with the change of the electrical properties are discussed intensively.