Investigation of BiFeO3 modified PbTiO3–Bi(MgZr)O3-based complex perovskite ceramics

Bismuth containing crystalline solutions of (1 − x)Bi(MgZr)0.5O3–xPbTiO3 (BMZ–PT) and [(BiFeO3)y − (BiMg0.5Zr0.5)1−y]x − [PbTiO3]1−x (BMZ–BF–PT) have been developed using conventional ceramic technology. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that both the systems possess a perovskite structure, in which tetragonal to rhombohedral phase transformation appears for x = 0.55 in BMZ–PT and y = 0.20 in BMZ–BF–PT systems. SEM photographs reveal a uniform grain size distribution in the solid solution matrix with the presence of ferroelectric domains in few of the compositions. Ferroelectric hysteresis (polarization–electric field, P–E) loops reveal that increase in BiFeO3 in BMZ–PT systems results in a decrease in residual polarization of the system with change and distortion in the shape of the (P–E) loops.