Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have attracted substantial attention in environmental protection and energy storage applications due to their excellent performance. In this study, the Ba1−xCaxZr0.1Ti0.9−ySnyO3(BCZTS) lead-free piezoelectric ceramic system was synthesized. The effects of doping ratios of Ca and Sn, as well as sintering temperature, were systematically investigated on the phase structure, microstructure, and piezoelectric properties of BCZTS ceramics. The results showed that the Ba0.88Ca0.12Zr0.1Ti0.81Sn0.09 ceramics synthesized with a Ca doping content of x = 12 mol% and a Sn doping content of y = 9 mol % had a homogeneous phase structure with an Orthorhombic–Tetragonal (O-T) morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and uniform grain size. At a sintering temperature of 1300 °C, the ceramics achieved optimal piezoelectric performance, with a piezoelectric coefficient d33 = 319 pC/N. These lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have superior properties compared to conventional lead-based piezoelectric ceramics in the local market, providing a novel and feasible way to replace lead-based ones in civilian applications.
Yang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.