Large Piezoelectric Strain with Superior Thermal Stability and Excellent Fatigue Resistance of Lead-Free Potassium Sodium Niobate-Based Grain Orientation-Controlled Ceramics

Abstract

Environment-friendly lead-free piezoelectric materials with high piezoelectric response and high stability in a wide temperature range are urgently needed for various applications. In this work, grain orientation-controlled (with a 90% ⟨001⟩-oriented texture) (K,Na)NbO-based ceramics with a large piezoelectric response ( d*) = 505 pm V and a high Curie temperature ( T) of 247 °C have been developed. Such a high d* value varies by less than 5% from 30 to 180 °C, showing a superior thermal stability. Furthermore, the high piezoelectricity exhibits an excellent fatigue resistance with the d* value decreasing within only by 6% at a field of 20 kV cm up to 10 cycles. These exceptional properties can be attributed to the vertical morphotropic phase boundary and the highly ⟨001⟩-oriented textured ceramic microstructure. These results open a pathway to promote lead-free piezoelectric ceramics as a viable alternative to lead-based piezoceramics for various practical applications, such as actuators, transducers, sensors, and acoustic devices, in a wide temperature range.

Giant Field‐Induced Strain with Low Hysteresis and Boosted Energy Storage Performance under Low Electric Field in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3‐Based Grain Orientation‐Controlled Ceramics

“…In the case of randomly oriented ceramics, domain switching has The data are compiled from the previous works. [1,3,10,13,16,17,22,24,28,32,34,35,[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61] d) Normalized strain as functions of cycle number, temperature, and frequency.…”

“…The data are compiled from the previous works. [ 1,3,10,13,16,17,22,24,28,32,34,35,48–61 ] d) Normalized strain as functions of cycle number, temperature, and frequency.…”

Enhanced thermal and cycling reliabilities in (K,Na)(Nb,Sb)O3-CaZrO3-(Bi,Na)HfO3 ceramics

“…Besides, the superior piezoelectric properties with d 33 ≈ 550 pC/N were achieved in KNN-based ceramics by adjusting phase structure and domain configurations [11,12]. However, inferior thermal stability and fatigue resistance of KNN-based ceramics tremendously restrain their industrialized application [13][14][15]. Some researchers widen the working temperature range of KNN-based ceramics by constructing polymorphic phase transition (PPB) [14,[16][17][18].…”

“…However, inferior thermal stability and fatigue resistance of KNN-based ceramics tremendously restrain their industrialized application [13][14][15]. Some researchers widen the working temperature range of KNN-based ceramics by constructing polymorphic phase transition (PPB) [14,[16][17][18]. Meanwhile, acceptor dopants, such as Mn and La, are able to effectively improve the thermal stability [16,19,20].…”

“…When the measurement temperature reaches 120 and 160 ℃, the normalized d 3 * 3 can attain 95% and 79%, respectively. The excellent thermal stability of x = 0.03 ceramic should be attributed to the depressed rhombohedral and tetragonal phase boundary near room temperature[14,44,45].Figures 10 and 11show the evolution of P-E hysteresis loops and unipolar S-E curves of x = 0 and x = 0.03 ceramics with electrical cycling up to 10 4 cycles under a fixed driven electric field of 3 kV/mm. An obvious degradation of P r and d can be observed with the increase of cycle for x = 0 ceramic.…”