Phase transitional behavior and electrical properties of (1 −x)(K0.475Na0.48Li0.05)Nb0.95Sb0.05O3–xCaZrO3 lead-free ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics ( 1 − x ) (K 0.475 Na 0.48 Li 0.05 )Nb 0.95 Sb 0.05 O 3 – x CaZrO 3 with perovskite structure were prepared by conventional ceramic sintering technique, and the effects of the CaZrO 3 content on the phase transitions, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. With the increase of CaZrO 3 , the crystal structure of the ceramics transformed from the orthorhombic–tetragonal phase coexistence to the coexistence of rhombohedral and orthorhombic phases at x = 0.01 . Furthermore, both the rhombohedral–orthorhombic and orthorhombic–tetragonal phase transitions of the ceramics were found adjusted to be near room temperature with x = 0.005 , which results in a significantly enhanced piezoelectric activity.