Microstructure-dependent electrical properties of Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –BaTiO 3 –SrTiO 3 ternary solid solution

The evolution of microstructure (grain size) with the sintering temperature and its effect on the electrical properties has been investigated for ((Bi0.5Na0.5)0.94Ba0.06)0.70Sr0.30TiO3 [BNBSTO] electroceramic. The X-ray diffraction patterns and the Rietveld refinements reveal the formation of the single phase with perovskite structure. The relative dielectric constant increases with the sintering temperature up to 1175 °C. Temperature-dependent relative permittivity shows the dispersive nature with the diffuse electrical phase transitions. The diffusivity of the electrical properties of the electroceramics has been estimated using the Curie–Weiss law. It is observed that the electrical diffuseness decreases with the increase of the grain size. The Nyquist plots reveal the role of grains and grain boundaries on the electrical conductivity of the electroceramic. Also, the grain size affects the ferroelectric properties which directly influences the energy storage density.