Conventionally sintered (Na/sub 0.5/,K/sub 0.5/)NbO/sub 3/ with barium additions

The effect of Ba additions on sodium potassium niobate (NKN) ceramic bodies was investigated with regard to sintering behavior, densification, and electrical properties. Small additions of Ba retard grain growth and increase density. The approximate solubility limit of Ba is 1.5 mol%. During firing the loss of Na and K was very low. Both electrical phase transitions in NKN are lowered with Ba additions. The Ba-containing bodies how higher permittivity values than hot-pressed materials, while radial coupling and d/sub 33/ were similar to or higher than those of the conventionally sintered pure materials