There is disclosed a piezoelectric ceramic having the composition: a[PbTiO.sub.3]-b[SrTiO.sub.3]-c[BiFeO.sub.3]-d[(K.sub.xBi.sub.1-x)TiO.sub.3]; wherein 0.4<x<0.6; 0.1<a<0.4; 0.01<b0.2; c0.05; d0.01; and a+b+c+d=1 optionally comprising an A- or B-site metal dopant in an amount of up to 2 at. %.

There is disclosed a piezoelectric ceramic having the composition: a[PbTiO.sub.3]-b[SrTiO.sub.3]-c[BiFeO.sub.3]-d[(K.sub.xBi.sub.1-x)TiO.sub.3]; wherein 0.4<x<0.6; 0.1<a<0.4; 0.01<b0.2; c0.05; d0.01; and a+b+c+d=1 optionally comprising an A- or B-site metal dopant in an amount of up to 2 at. %.

The present invention relates to a bismuth-based solid solution ceramic material, as well as a process for preparing the ceramic material and uses thereof, particularly in an actuator component employed, for example, in a droplet deposition apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (I): (I): x(Bi.sub.0.5Na.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-y(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-z.sub.1SrHfO.sub.3-z.sub.2SrZrO.sub.3, wherein x+y+Z.sub.1+Z.sub.2=1; y, (z.sub.1+z.sub.2)0; x0. In embodiments, the present invention also relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (II): x(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-ZiSrHfO3-z2SrZrO3, wherein x+y +z-i+z2=1; x, y, fa+z2)0; as well as a ceramic material of general formula (III): y(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-z.sub.1SrHfO.sub.3-z.sub.2SrZrO.sub.3, wherein y+z.sub.1,+z.sub.2=1; y, (z.sub.1+z.sub.2)0.

The present invention relates to a method for precipitation hardening of a piezoceramic and to a piezoceramic.

The present invention relates to a method for precipitation hardening of a piezoceramic and to a piezoceramic.

Disclosed are a bismuth sodium potassium titanate-barium titanate (BNKT-BT)-based composite ceramic material with high depolarization temperature and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the technical field of piezoelectric ceramics of electronic materials. The chemical general formula of the BNKT-BT based composite ceramic material is: 0.85(Bi.sub.0.5Na.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-0.11(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-0.04BaTiO.sub.3-xZnO, where 0.1x0.3. The composite ceramic material takes BNKT-BT ceramics as the substrate, and single-phase ZnO is embedded in the middle of the substrate to form a 0-3 composite structure.

Disclosed are a bismuth sodium potassium titanate-barium titanate (BNKT-BT)-based composite ceramic material with high depolarization temperature and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the technical field of piezoelectric ceramics of electronic materials. The chemical general formula of the BNKT-BT based composite ceramic material is: 0.85(Bi.sub.0.5Na.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-0.11(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-0.04BaTiO.sub.3-xZnO, where 0.1x0.3. The composite ceramic material takes BNKT-BT ceramics as the substrate, and single-phase ZnO is embedded in the middle of the substrate to form a 0-3 composite structure.

Provided is a piezoelectric ceramics including crystal grains each including: a first region that is formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide having a crystal structure in which a central element of a unit cell is located at an asymmetrical position; and a second region that is formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide having a crystal structure in which a central element of a unit cell is located at a symmetrical position, and that is present inside the first region, wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the second region to a cross-sectional area of the piezoelectric ceramics is 0.1% or less.

A multi-layer ceramic capacitor is disclosed. In an embodiment the dielectric composition includes a perovskite crystal structure containing at least Bi, Na, Sr and Ti, wherein the dielectric composition includes a low-Bi phase in which a Bi concentration is no greater than 0.8 times the mean Bi concentration in the dielectric composition as a whole.

A multi-layer ceramic capacitor is disclosed. In an embodiment the dielectric composition includes a perovskite crystal structure containing at least Bi, Na, Sr and Ti, wherein the dielectric composition includes a low-Bi phase in which a Bi concentration is no greater than 0.8 times the mean Bi concentration in the dielectric composition as a whole.