(1 − x )BaTiO 3 – x BiAlO 3 relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by the conventional sintering (CS) and the microwave sintering (MWS) methods, respectively. The microstructure, the dielectric properties, the relaxation characteristic, the ferroelectric and the energy storage properties were investigated in detail. The results show that a single perovskite phase exists in ceramic samples sintered by CS and MWS. The addition of BiAlO 3 into BaTiO 3 and the MWS method result in the reduction of the grain size and the porosity of BaTiO 3 ceramic. This leads to the enhanced diffuse transition and frequency dispersion. The dielectric constant and loss decrease with increasing the BiAlO 3 content, and the temperature and the frequency stabilities are enhanced by introducing BiAlO 3 into BaTiO 3 . The remnant polarization ( P r ) increases initially and then decreases with the increase of BiAlO 3 content, the maximum values of P r (9.5 μC/cm 2 for CS and 7.27 μC/cm 2 for MWS) are obtained at x = 0.02. The addition of BiAlO 3 can elevate the variation of polarization Δ P ( P max − P r ), its maximum values (12.56 μC/cm 2 for CS ceramic and 12.2 μC/cm 2 for MWS ceramic) are acquired at x = 0.04, 0.08, respectively. The energy storage properties indicate that the energy storage density ( W rec ) increases, while the energy storage efficiency ( η ) firstly decreases and then increases with the increase of x .
(0.9 – x )BaTiO 3 –0.1BiYbO 3 – x BiAlO 3 ( x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.08) lead-free ferroelectric ceramics are synthesized using conventional sintering (CS) and microwave sintering (MWS) methods. The microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, relaxation behavior, and energy storage properties are investigated systematically. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show a single perovskite phase for all samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate that MWS method can impede the grain growth, whereas the introduction of BiAlO 3 can lead to the increase in the grain size. Dielectric measurements reveal that an obvious dielectric relaxation behavior can be strengthened by MWS, and the improvement of the dielectric constant ( ε r ) of ceramics is realized by MWS. Incorporated with BiAlO 3 contributes to enhancement of the frequency and temperature stabilities of the dielectric constant for BaTiO 3 –BiYbO 3 ceramics. The slim hysteresis loops are observed, and the maximum polarization of the sample sintered by MWS is higher than that sintered by CS. The MWS samples possess a higher energy density which is about 2 times larger than that of CS samples, and the largest energy storage density ≈0.86 J cm −3 and energy storage efficiency ≈97.44% are, respectively, obtained at x = 0 and 0.04 for MWS ceramics.