Improve piezoelectricity in BaTiO3-based ceramics with large electrostriction coefficient

A new solid solution of (1 − x)Ba0.86Sr0.14TiO3 − xBa0.86Sr0.14HfO3 (abbreviated as BST − xBSH, 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) was prepared to search for a high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. Through the chemical of Hf tailoring, the enhanced electrical property (e.g., d33 ~ 650 pC/N, εr ~ 4455, tanδ ~ 0.024, strain ~ 0.151%, and d33* ~ 502 pm/V) and large electrostriction coefficient (Q33 = 0.0528 m4/C2) are obtained in the ceramics with x = 0.06. The relationship between piezoelectric performance and electrostrictive coefficient is studied in detail. It’s worth noting that the variation of Q33 is highly matched with d33 because the electrostrictive effect plays a vital role in the piezoelectricity of ferroelectric materials. Therefore, it is very promising to increase the piezoelectricity by modifying electrostriction coefficient in lead-free materials for electromechanical actuator applications.