Executive Summary : | The development of dielectric solid-state capacitors can revolutionize modern electrical devices due to the increasing demand for electrical energy. Novel lead-free antiferroelectric materials have attracted research attention for future capacitor applications. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in synthesizing lead-free ferroelectric/anti-ferroelectric materials in the glass-ceramic route through melt quenching and devitrification heat-treatment. These materials offer advantages over conventional ceramic materials, such as minimal porosity, homogenous microstructure, high BDS of the glass matrix, higher chemical/thermal durability, and improved dielectric properties. Sodium niobate (NaNbO3) is a perovskite type (ABO3) crystal with an interesting combination of electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Its antiferroelectric to ferroelectric switching behavior can be achieved for realizable electric fields, making it particularly suitable for energy storage applications, including high-density optical data storage. The proposed project aims to synthesize antiferroelectric NaNbO3-based glass-ceramics and study their dielectric and ferroelectric properties for energy storage applications. The effects of isovalent ions like Li+, K+, and Ta5+ on the properties of the glass-ceramics will be studied. Technological parameters like temperature and time of glass melting, refining, and annealing will be optimized. Analyses of thermal, phase, microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties will be performed using various instruments, including DSC, FTIR/Raman, XRD, FESEM, LCR meter, breakdown voltage tester, and loop tracer instruments. |