High piezoelectric coefficient of Pr2O3-doped Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 ceramics

Pr2O3-doped Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 (BCTZ-xPr) ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state method. A tetragonal phase is only observed in these ceramics, and the introduction of Pr2O3 decreases their sintering temperature without affecting negatively the piezoelectric constant. Enhanced ferroelectric properties were obtained in these BCTZ-xPr ceramics. The ceramic with x=0.06 wt% exhibits a good electrical behavior of d33∼460 pC/N, kp∼47.6%, εr∼4638, and tan δ∼0.015 when sintered at a low temperature of ∼1400 °C. As a result, the BCTZ-xPr ceramic is a promising candidate for lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.