Thermally-stable high energy storage performances and large electrocaloric effect over a broad temperature span in lead-free BCZT ceramic

Ba(0.85)Ca(0.15)Zr(0.10)Ti(0.90)O(3) (BCZT) relaxor ferroelectric ceramics exhibit enhanced energy storage and electrocaloric performances due to their excellent dielectric and ferroelectric properties. In this study, the temperature-dependence of the structural and dielectric properties, as well as the field and temperature-dependence of the energy storage and the electrocaloric properties in BCZT ceramics elaborated at low-temperature hydrothermal processing are investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy results confirmed the ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition in the BCZT ceramic. At room temperature and 1 kHz, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss reached 5000 and 0.029, respectively. The BCZT ceramic showed a large recovered energy density (W(rec)) of 414.1 mJ cm(−3) at 380 K, with an energy efficiency of 78.6%, and high thermal-stability of W(rec) of 3.9% in the temperature range of 340–400 K. The electrocaloric effect in BCZT was explored via an indirect approach following the Maxwell relation at 60 kV cm(−1). The significant electrocaloric temperature change of 1.479 K at 367 K, a broad temperature span of 87 K, an enhanced refrigerant capacity of 140.33 J kg(−1), and a high coefficient of performance of 6.12 obtained at 60 kV cm(−1) make BCZT ceramics potentially useful coolant materials in the development of future eco-friendly solid-state refrigeration technology.