Abstract
Lead-free (1-x)$(Na_{0.5}K_{0.5})NbO_3$-xBa($Ti_{0.9}Sn_{0.1})O_3$ [NKN-BTS-100x] ceramics doped with 1 mol% $MnO_2$ have been prepared by the conventional solid state method and their structural and piezoelectric properties were investigated. The NKN-BTS-100x ceramics exhibited a dense and homogeneous microstructure when they were sintered at $1030-1150^{\circ}C$. Grain growth was observed for the specimen sintered at relatively low temperature of $1050^{\circ}C$. A tetragonal/orthorhombic morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in the perovskite structure was also appeared for the NKN-BTS-100x ceramics (0.04$1050^{\circ}C$. The enhanced piezoelectric properties in the NKN-BTS ceramics with a MPB composition were obtained. Especially, for the NKN-BTS-6 ceramics, a high dielectric constant (${\varepsilon}^T_3/\varepsilon_0=1,400$), piezoelectric constant ($d_{33}=237$) and electromechanical coupling factor ($k_p=0.42$) were obtained.
