Structure and Piezoelectric Properties of (1-X)K0.49Na0.51NbO3-XLiTaO3 Lead-Free Piezoceramics
Lead-free (1-x)K0.49Na0.51NbO3-xLiTaO3 (x=0.00-0.07) piezoceramics were fabricated by the conventional solid-state sintering method, the effects of LiTaO3 content on the phase structure and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. All the ceramics show single perovskite structure with a phase transition from an orthorhombic symmetry to a tetragonal one across an orthorhombic-tetragonal coexistence region with 0.04<x<0.06. For the ceramic sample with x=0.05, due to the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases near room temperature, enhanced piezoelectric constant d33=236 pC/N and planar electromechanical coupling coefficient kp=40.9% are observed. In addition to other good electrical properties such as εr=969, tgδ=0.015 and Qm=41, this ceramic is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material.