Tracking high-performance Pb(Ni_1/3Sb_2/3)O₃–Pb(Zr_0.48Ti_0.52)O₃ piezoelectric ceramics near morphotropic phase boundary

Piezoelectric actuators play a strong part in the field of electromechanical applications by precisely transferring input electric energy into mechanical force, electric displacement efficiently based on inverse piezoelectric effect. It is still challenging for high-drive electromechanical applications to rely on advanced ferroelectrics with high piezoelectricity. This study focuses on the xPb(Ni_1/3Sb_2/3)O₃–(1 − x)Pb(Zr_0.48Ti_0.52)O₃ ternary ceramics as the base composition to design morphotropic phase boundary region to strengthen piezoelectric response. The results show that the composition at x = 0.12 locates at morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region which exhibits optimal piezoelectric charge coefficient d₃₃ of 481 pC/N, Curie temperature T_c of 226 °C, and electromechanical coupling coefficient k_p = 0.43, respectively. Additionally, this composition demonstrates excellent temperature stability within a range of 160 °C, suggesting its potential as a promising solution for high electromechanical applications. In summary, a comprehensive piezoelectric performance evaluation of the PNS-PZT ternary ceramics was conducted for the first time, yielding the highest piezoelectric coefficient compared with reported peer-reviewed literature. These findings contribute novel perspectives to the compositional design of high-performance piezoelectric actuators.