This study investigates the effect of MnO2 and CuO as acceptor additives on the microstructure and piezoelectric properties of $0.96(K_{0.5}Na_{0.5})_{0.95}Li_{0.05}Nb_{0.93}Sb_{0.07}O_3-0.04BaZrO_3$, which has a rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary...
This study investigates the effect of MnO2 and CuO as acceptor additives on the microstructure and piezoelectric properties of $0.96(K_{0.5}Na_{0.5})_{0.95}Li_{0.05}Nb_{0.93}Sb_{0.07}O_3-0.04BaZrO_3$, which has a rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary composition. $MnO_2$ and CuO-added $0.96(K_{0.5}Na_{0.5})_{0.95}Li_{0.05}Nb_{0.93}Sb_{0.07}O_3-0.04BaZrO_3$ ceramics sintered at a relatively low temperature of $1020^{\circ}C$ show a pure perovskite phase with no secondary phase. As the addition of $MnO_2$ and CuO increases, the sintered density and grain size of the resulting ceramics increases. Due to the difference in the amount of oxygen vacancies produced by B-site substitution, Cu ion doping is more effective for uniform grain growth than Mn ion doping. The formation of oxygen vacancies due to B-site substitution of Cu or Mn ions results in a hardening effect via ferroelectric domain pinning, leading to a reduction in the piezoelectric charge coefficient and improvement of the mechanical quality factor. For the same amount of additive, the addition of CuO is more advantageous for obtaining a high mechanical quality factor than the addition of $MnO_2$.