Grain Size Effects on Piezoelectric Properties and Domain Structure of <scp> <scp>BaTiO</scp> </scp> ₃ Ceramics Prepared by Two‐Step Sintering

Abstract

A series of highly dense barium titanate ( BaTiO 3 ) ceramics with the average grain size ( GS ) from 0.29 to 8.61 μm are successfully prepared by two‐step sintering, and the GS effect on piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) is systematically discussed in this work. It is found that when GS above 1 μm, d 33 can be enhanced with decreasing GS , reaching a maximum value of 519 pC/N around 1 μm due to the high activity of domain wall mobility. Subsequently, d 33 rapidly drops with a further decrease in GS owing to the reduced domain density. The results suggest that it is possible to prepare high‐performance BaTiO 3 ceramics by controlling the GS and domain configuration properly, which brings great revitalization to the BaTiO 3 ‐based piezoceramics.