Synthesis and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 piezoelectric ceramics

Polycrystalline SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBiT) ceramics have been synthesized by a sol-gel method. These ceramics were structurally characterized by powder x-ay diffraction studies (XRD), Rietveld analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD pattern of SBiT crystallized into an orthorhombic structure with A2(1)am as space group. The lattice parameters were calculated by Rietveld refinement. SEM images of SBiT show plate-like grains with random orientation of plate faces. Dielectric properties as a function of temperature at different frequencies are reported for this ceramic. Poling experiments were carried out to determine the piezoelectric coefficients. The conductivity of sintered ceramic was studied using impedance spectroscopy. Cole-Cole plots show the presence of two semicircular arcs, suggesting the existence of grain and grain boundary effects.