Electrical properties of textured potassium strontium niobate (KSr2Nb5O15) ceramics fabricated by reactive templated grain growth

Highly [001] textured KSr2Nb5O15 (KSN) ceramics were fabricated by templated grain growth using acicular KSN template particles (5-15 wt%) and reactive matrix of SrNb2O6 and KNbO3. Excess Nb2O5 (1-1.5 wt%) was added as a liquid former. Increasing sintering temperature and time resulted in increased texture with a maximum texture fraction of 0.98. Dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric measurements indicate anisotropic properties that are close to single crystal values in the textured ceramics with the highest P-r approximate to 18 mu C/cm(2), P-s approximate to 25 mu C/cm(2), and d(33)=65 pC/N obtained in the c-axis direction.