Structural Evolution and Energy Storage Properties of Bi(Zn0.5Zr0.5)O3 Modified BaTiO3-based Relaxation Ferroelectric Ceramics

A series of (1-x)BaTiO3-xBi(Zn0.5Zr0.5)O-3 (x = 0-0.15) ceramics were synthesized using the conventional solid-state method. An ultrahigh recoverable energy storage density of 3.58 J/cm(3) and a high energy efficiency of 90% are obtained for 0.85BaTiO(3)-0.15Bi(Zn0.5Zr0.5)O-3 lead-free bulk ceramics under an electric field of 430 kV/cm; the energy storage density is thus enhanced by a factor of a similar to 895% compared with that of the pure BT ceramics. Furthermore, an excellent temperature stability is obtained, with changes in the energy storage density and efficiency <5% and <0.1%, respectively, over the temperature range of 30 degrees C - 120 degrees C. These ergodic relaxor ferroelectric characteristics are attributed to the reduced grain size, the transition from the tetragonal phase to the pseudo-cubic phase, and the transformation of the domain structure from macro domains to polar nanoregions. This work provides a lead-free material for realizing high-temperature capacitors for use in energy storage devices.