PURE AND ND ADDED NBT-BT SINGLE CRYSTALS-GROWTH AND THEIR CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract

The lead free piezoelectric materials are secured an important place in the field of material science and engineering. In the present work single crystals of sodium bismuth titanate- barium titanate (0.94NBT-0.06BT) and 0.6 wt % of Nd added NBT-BT has been grown by flux method. The addition of 0.6 wt% of Nd shows the inhomogeneity in melt and the crystals collected from the top, middle and bottom portions of the crucible have been characterized for their structural and dielectric properties. The Nd concentration is found to be more in the crystals grown from the bottom portion of crucible and it was confirmed by optical and structural analysis. After the addition of Nd the color of the crystal changes form pale yellow to muddy green. The depolarization temperature (Td) and the temperature where the dielectric constant reaches its maximum (Tm) are increased from 442 K to 475 K and 595 K and 628 K respectively after the addition the of Nd in NBT-BT.