Doping effects in (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Hf0.1Ti0.9)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics prepared via powder injection moulding using simple binder

To improve densification of the (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Hf0.1Ti0.9)O3 (BCHT) ceramics prepared via powder injection moulding, MnO2 and Li2CO3 were used as sintering aids. The BCHT ceramics doped with different Mn- and Li-amount prepared by powder injection moulding in which paraffin was used as injection binder, have rather pure perovskite structure with complicated polymorphic ferroelectric phase coexistence. Polyhedral grains combined with nearly round shape grains with increased relative density and larger gains size were obtained at appropriate doping amount, related to the formation of liquid phase during sintering and increased mobility of ions due to the generation of point defects caused by heterovalent cations doping. TheMn- and Li-doped BCHT ceramics are displacement driven ferroelectrics with apparent diffused transition characteristic at different extent, relating to the morphotropic phase boundary composition and the variation of point defects induced by doping. Comparable or surpassing electrical performance was acquired, especially the dielectric breakdown strength was increased due to the improved sinterability. With appropriate doping amount, piezoelectricity larger than 300 pC/N can be obtained in the Mn- and Li-doped BCHT ceramics poled under low electric field.