Influence of the BaTiO3 addition to K0.5Na0.5NbO3 lead-free ceramics on the vacancy-like defect structure and dielectric properties

Abstract A study on the induced changes in the vacancy-like defect structure and the dielectric properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics by the addition of different amounts, between 0% and 7%, of BaTiO3 is presented. The samples were prepared by a mechanochemically activated solid-state reaction method. The structural evolution due to the orthorhombic to the tetragonal phase transition of the KNN doped samples was followed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The use of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy allowed to identify the defect structure at sub-nanometric scale and the nature of the vacancy-like defects generated by the phase transition. The obtained results are discussed considering the lattice symmetry change and the defects structure formed due to the replacement of alkaline and niobium ions by barium and titanium ones. Additionally, changes in the dielectric properties are discussed in terms of the structural modifications of the different KNN-based ceramics involving different kinds of vacancy-like defects.