Reduction of the piezoelectric performance in lead-free (1-x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 piezoceramics under uniaxial compressive stress

The effect of a uniaxial compressive stress on the properties of BZT-BCT samples across the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) is investigated using direct piezoelectric coefficient measurements. In contrast to many lead zirconate titanate compositions, the piezoelectric coefficient decreases monotonically with increasing stress and does not show an initial increase or plateau. Electrically softer rhombohedral and MPB compositions are found to be more susceptible to a decrease in piezoelectric coefficient under an increasing pre-stress than tetragonal compositions. Depoling due to ferroelastic domain switching alone, as observed by x-ray diffraction, does not explain this reduction, but instead a decreasing domain wall density is proposed to be responsible for reduced piezoelectric coefficients under increasing compressive stress. The relaxation of the piezoelectric response after complete unloading supports this proposed mechanism. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4768273]