Electrostrictive and relaxor ferroelectric behavior in BiAlO3-modified BaTiO3 lead-free ceramics

The crystal structure of (1-x) BaTiO3-xBiAlO(3) (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, and 0.1) ceramics was determined using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy at room temperature, which revealed a phase transition from tetragonal to rhombohedral with increasing x. The dielectric properties were studied as a function of temperature at different frequencies, which indicated that the phase transition temperature (T-m) decreased with increasing x. The relaxor behavior was observed by frequency and temperature dependent dielectric permittivity. The Lorenz-type quadratic law was used to characterize the dielectric permittivity peaks near T-m of high-temperature slopes at 1 MHz. The temperatures T-m of dielectric permittivity peaks fit very well with the Vogel-Fulcher law in x = 0.05 and x = 0.1. The polarization hysteresis loops and electrostrictive were displayed at room temperature. The sample for x = 0.1 exhibits a slim loop with negligible hysteresis and a subtle linear feature, which is a promising transducer material for use as an active element. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4794022]