Effect of poling process on piezoelectric properties of BCZT-0.08 wt.% CeO < inf > 2 < /inf > lead-free ceramics

Abstract

The properties of lead free piezoelectric materials can be tuned by suitable doping in the A and B sites of the perovskite structure. In the present study, cerium has been identified as a dopant to investigate the piezoelectric properties of lead-free BCZT system. BCZT-0.08 wt.%CeO2 lead-free ceramics have been synthesized using sol-gel technique and the effects of CeO2 dopant on their phase structure and piezoelectric properties were investigated systematically. Poling conditions, such as temperature, electric field, and poling time have been optimized to get enhanced piezoelectric response. The optimized poling conditions (50°C, 3Ec and 30min) resulted in high piezoelectric charge coefficient d33 ~ 670pC/N, high electromechanical coupling coefficient kp ~ 60% and piezoelectric voltage coefficient g33 ~ 14 mV.m/N for BCZT-0.08wt.% CeO2 ceramics.