Original Article

Morphological, piezoelectric and dielectric properties of piezoelectric lead-free ceramic Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ for energy harvesting applications: milling process effects

¹ Sciences Engineer Laboratory for Energy, National School of Applied Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
² Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, INSA Hauts-de-France, CERAMATHS – Laboratoire de Matériaux Céramiques et de Mathématiques, Valenciennes, F-59313 France
³ Green Tech Institute (GTI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Morocco
⁴ Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory, National School of Chemistry, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
⁵ University of Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, UMR 8207, UMET—Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Lille, F-59000 France

^* e-mail: derraz.meryiem@gmail.com.

Received: 26 August 2023
Accepted: 8 January 2024

Abstract

A lead-free piezoelectric ceramic, Bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂), is synthesized as an environmentally friendly alternative to the commonly used Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT). This study focuses on investigating the effects of processing conditions on the morphological and structural properties of piezoelectric ceramics. The material is synthesized successfully through a solid-state reaction technique and is fully characterized using various techniques, including XRD, Raman, TG/DTG, SEM/EDX, piezoelectric, and dielectric analysis. The results show that wet or dry milling affects the morphological properties of the piezoelectric ceramic powder. SEM images reveal that the ceramic prepared by solvent-assisted solid-state (BTOS) exhibits a crystallite length of about 2 micrometers, compared to the ceramic powder prepared in a dry medium (BTO), which shows a crystallite length of about 9 micrometers. The d₃₃ piezoelectric coefficient values are around 27.7 pC/N and 21.4 pC/N, and the Kp values are found to be 29% and 26% for BTOS and BTO, respectively. This work contributes to the optimization of lead-free piezoelectric ceramic processing with potential applications in various sectors.