Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of textured Sr_0.53Ba_0.47Nb₂O₆ceramics prepared by templated grain growth

Fiber textured Sr_0.53Ba_0.47Nb₂O₆ceramics were reactively sintered to ≥95% of the theoretical density from a mixture of SrNb₂O₆and BaNb₂O₆powders. Texture in 〈001〉 was obtained by templated grain growth on 〈001〉-oriented acicular KSr₂Nb₅O₁₅template particles. The most highly textured ceramics had a peak dielectric constant of 23,600 (atT_c= 128 °C), a remanent polarization (P_r) of 20.3 µC/cm², a saturation polarization (Psat) of 24 µC/cm²(69–96% of single crystal), and a piezoelectric charge coefficient (d₃₃) of 84 pC/N (76–93% of single crystal). A model, correlating polarization with grain orientation, predicts thatP_rincreases sharply when a percolating grain network forms to transfer charge between elongated grains.