Effects of Bi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3 Modification on the Relaxor Behavior and Piezoelectricity of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 Ceramics

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 64; no. 10; pp. 1608 - 1616
• Main Authors: Zenghui Liu, Hua Wu, Paterson, Alisa, Wei Ren, Zuo-Guang Ye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.10.2017; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Bi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O₃ substitution; Ceramics; complex perovskite; Crystal structure; Crystals; Dielectric measurement; Dielectric relaxation; Dielectrics; Ferroelectric materials; Lead; Magnesium; Magnesium niobates; Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O₃–PbTiO₃ (PMN–PT) solid solution; Phase transitions; piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties; Piezoelectricity; Powders; relaxor behavior; Solids; Temperature measurement; Ternary systems; Transformations (mathematics)
• ISSN: 0885-3010; 1525-8955
• DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2017.2721443

Relaxor lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-based materials exhibit complex structures and unusual properties that have been puzzling researchers for decades. In this paper, a new ternary solid solution of Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 -Bi(Zn 2/3 Nb 1/3 )O 3 (PMN-PT-BZN) is prepared in the form of ceramics, and the effects of the incorporation of BZN into the PMN-PT binary system are investigated. The crystal structure favors a pseudocubic symmetry and the relaxor properties are enhanced as the concentration of BZN increases. The relaxor behavior and the related phase transformations are studied by dielectric spectroscopy. A phase diagram mapping out the characteristic temperatures and various states is established. Interestingly, the piezoelectricity of the PMN-PT ceramics is significantly enhanced by the BZN substitution, with an optimal value of d 33 reaching 826 pC/N for 0.96[0.7Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3-0.3 PbTiO 3 ]-0.04Bi(Zn 2/3 Nb 1/3 )O 3 . This paper provides a better understanding of the relaxor ferroelectric behavior, and unveils a new relaxor-based ternary system as piezoelectric materials potentially useful for electromechanical transducer applications.