A vibrator includes an electromechanical transducer which is a piezoelectric ceramic made of sodium-potassium niobate metal oxides and whose temperature characteristics of a relative permittivity is 500 [ppm/° C.] or less in absolute value in a temperature range from −40° C. to 170° C., wherein excitation of the electromechanical transducer produces a vibration wave. Another vibrator includes an electromechanical transducer which is a piezoelectric ceramic made of sodium-potassium niobate metal oxides and whose temperature characteristics of a relative permittivity is 390 [ppm/° C.] or less in absolute value in a temperature range from 0° C. to 60° C., wherein excitation of the electromechanical transducer produces a vibration wave.

Disclosed are embodiments of high Q modified materials. In some embodiments, complex tungsten oxides and/or hexagonal perovskite crystal structures can be added to provide for advantageous properties. In some embodiments, no tin is used in the formation of the material.

A piezoelectric material composition, a method of manufacturing the same, a piezoelectric device, and apparatus including the piezoelectric device. The piezoelectric device may include a piezoelectric device layer including a first material and a second material surrounded by the first material, a first electrode portion disposed at a first surface of the piezoelectric device layer, and a second electrode portion disposed at a second surface of the piezoelectric device layer opposite to the first surface, wherein the piezoelectric device layer comprises a piezoelectric material composition represented by Chemical Formula 1: 0.96(Na.sub.aK.sub.1-a)(Nb.sub.b(T.sub.1-b))O.sub.3-(0.04-x)MZrO.sub.3-x(Bi.sub.cAg.sub.1-c)ZrO.sub.3+d mol % NaNbO.sub.3, wherein T is Sb or Ta, M is Sr, Ba or Ca, a is 0.4≤a≤0.6, b is 0.90≤b≤0.98, c is 0.4≤c≤0.6, d is 0≤d≤5.0, and x is 0≤x≤0.04 and wherein T is Sb or Ta and M is Sr, Ba, or Ca.

A lead-free piezoelectric material includes perovskite-type metal oxide containing Na, Nb, Ba, Ti, and Mg and indicates excellent piezoelectric properties. The piezoelectric material satisfies the following relational expression (1): 0.430≤a≤0.460, 0.433≤b≤0.479, 0.040≤c≤0.070, 0.0125≤d≤0.0650, 0.0015≤e≤0.0092, 0.9×3e≤c−d≤1.1×3e, a+b+c+d+e=1, where a, b, c, d, and e denote the relative numbers of Na, Nb, Ba, Ti, and Mg atoms, respectively.

The sintered body has an average particle size in the range of 0.1 μm or more and 5 μm or less, includes gamet-type oxide base material particles having at least Li, La, and Zr, has 8% by volume or more of voids, and has an ionic conductivity of 1.0×10.sup.−5 S/cm or more at temperature of 25° C.

Embodiments relate to an improved hydroflux assisted densification process that introduces a transport phase (formed by the introduction of water during the process to suppress melting temperatures) for sintering, the transport phase being a non-aqueous solution. The process can facilitate sintering at low temperature ranges (at or below 300° C.) to yield densification>90% without the need for additional post-processing steps that otherwise would be needed if conventional processes were used. Control of the pressures and water content used during the process can enhance densification mechanisms related to dissolution-reprecipitation, allowing for a greater range of compositional spectra of materials that can be densified, a reduction of the amount of transport phase needed, a reduction of impurities and an improvement of properties in the densified material. Certain hydrated acetate powders can be used to generate a hydroxide mixture flux that is better for the low-temperature densification process.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material reduced in dielectric loss tangent, and achieving both a large piezoelectric constant and a large mechanical quality factor. A piezoelectric material according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a piezoelectric material including a main component formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): Na.sub.x+s(1−y)(Bi.sub.wBa.sub.1−s−w).sub.1−yNb.sub.yTi.sub.1−yO.sub.3 (where 0.84≤x≤0.92, 0.84≤y≤0.92, 0.002≤(w+s)(1−y)≤0.035, and 0.9≤w/s≤1.1), and a Mn component, wherein the content of the Mn is 0.01 mol % or more and 1.00 mol % or less with respect to the perovskite-type metal oxide.

Provided is a dielectric composition containing: a main component expressed by {Ba.sub.xSr.sub.(1-x)}.sub.mTa.sub.4O.sub.12; and a first subcomponent, m satisfying a relationship of 1.95≤m≤2.40. The first subcomponent includes silicon and manganese. When the amount of the main component contained in the dielectric composition is set to 100 parts by mole, the amount of silicon contained in the dielectric composition is 5.0 to 20.0 parts by mole in terms of SiO.sub.2, and the amount of manganese contained in the dielectric composition is 1.0 to 4.5 parts by mole in terms of MnO.

A hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic has an ABO.sub.3 structure with A sites and B sites. The PZT ceramic is doped with Mn and with Nb on the B sites and the ratio Nb/Mn is <2. A piezoelectric multilayer component having such a PZT ceramic and also a method for producing a piezoelectric multilayer component are also disclosed.