BiFeO3-BaTiO3 is a promising high-temperature
piezoelectric ceramic that possesses both good electromechanical properties
and a Curie temperature (T
C). Here, the
piezoelectric charge constants (d
33) and
strain coefficients (d*33) of (1 – x)BiFeO3-xBaTiO3 (BF-xBT; 0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) lead-free
piezoelectrics were investigated at room temperature. The results
showed a maximum d
33 of 225 pC/N in the
BF-0.30BT ceramic and a maximum d*33 of
405 pm/V in the BF-0.35BT ceramic, with T
Cs of 503 and 415 °C, respectively. To better understand the
performance enhancement mechanisms, a phase diagram was established
using the results of XRD, piezoresponse force microscopy, TEM, and
electrical property measurements. The superb d
33 of the BF-0.30BT ceramic arose because of its location in
the optimum point in the morphotropic phase boundary, low oxygen vacancy
(V
O
··) concentration, and domain heterogeneity. The
superior d*33 of the BF-0.35BT ceramic
was attributed to a weak relaxor behavior between coexisting macrodomains
and polar nanoregions. The presented strategy provides guidelines
for designing high-temperature BF-BT ceramics for different applications.