Effect of phase homogeneity and grain size on ferroelectric properties of 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5 (Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BXT) lead-free ceramics

We used two different solid state synthesis routes in conjunction with Current Activated Pressure Assisted Densification (CAPAD) to produce lead-free 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3-0.5(Ba0.3Ca0.3)TiO3 (called BZT-BCT or BXT) ceramics. The materials are fully dense and have a wide range of grain sizes from nanocrystalline (90 nm) to more conventional micrometer size range (3 mu m). We investigate the role of grain size and phase homogeneity on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of BXT independent of porosity. One of the synthesis routes yields samples with comparably high switchable polarization, 2P(r) at grain sizes similar to 7 times smaller (420 nm) than the former route. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.