Electrical properties of Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3–PbTiO3 high-TC piezoelectric ceramics fabricated by the microwave sintering process

0.55Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.45PbTiO3 high-TC piezoelectric ceramics have been sintered respectively by the conventional process and the microwave sintering method, and the dependence of the microstructure, ferroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric properties on the two sintering approaches has been studied. In comparison with the conventional sintering method, the optimal sintering temperature of the microwave sintering process is lower and its holding time is shorter. Specimen sintered at 1050 °C by the microwave sintering process has higher density, smaller average grain size, higher spontaneous polarization and larger piezoelectric constant (d33) than those of sample sintered at 1150 °C in the muffle furnace. When sintered at 1050 °C by the microwave sintering method, the density of the sample reaches 98.8% of the theoretical density, and the d33 of the specimens is as high as 293 pC/N. The results indicate that the microwave sintering process is an effective method to fabricate the high-TC piezoelectric ceramics for practical applications.