Effect of sintering atmosphere on the microstructure and electrical properties of Pb(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O3–Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics

0.83Pb(Zr_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃–0.11Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.06Pb(Ni_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃(PZNNT) piezoelectric ceramics sintered in different atmospheres were synthesized using the conventional oxide-mixing method. The effects of oxygen, air, and nitrogen atmospheres on the microstructure, phase composition, electrical performance, and energy harvesting of PZNNT ceramics were investigated. The results showed that the PZNNT ceramics were pure perovskite phase and the grains presented equiaxial morphology. As the oxygen level decreased, the density decreased, and the grain size increased. The mechanism of the influence of atmosphere on the sintering characteristics of PZNNT piezoelectric ceramics was discussed. The electrical properties of PZNNT ceramics were closely related to the sintering atmosphere. With the oxygen level decreasing in the sintering atmosphere, the dielectric constant, Curie temperature, remnant polarization, and piezoelectric constant of PZNNT ceramics decreased, and the dielectric loss increased. PZNNT ceramics sintered in oxygen atmosphere (PZNNT-O₂) showed the excellent electrical and energy-harvesting properties. Capacitive charging experiments indicated that PZNNT-O₂ was suitable for piezoelectric energy harvesting.