Lead-based piezoelectric materials cause many environmental problems, regardless of their exceptional performance. To overcome this issue, a lead-free piezoelectric composite material was developed by incorporating different percentages of carbon fiber (CF) into the ceramic matrix of Bismuth Sodium Titanate (BNT) by employing the microwave sintering technique. The aim of this study was also to evaluate the impact of microwave sintering on the microstructure and the electrical behavior of the carbon-fiber-reinforced Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ composite (BNT-CF). A uniform distribution of the CF and increased densification of the BNT-CF was achieved, leading to improved piezoelectric properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the formation of a phase-pure crystalline perovskite structure consisting of CF and BNT. A Field Emission Scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed that utilizing microwave sintering at lower temperatures and shorter dwell times results in a superior densification of the BNT-CF. Raman Spectroscopy confirmed the perovskite structure of the BNT-CF and the presence of a Morphotropic Phase Boundary (MPB). An analysis of nanohardness indicated that the hardness of the BNT-CF increases with the increasing amount of CF. It is also revealed that the electrical conductivity of the BNT-CF at a low frequency is significantly influenced by the amount of CF and the temperature. Moreover, an increase in the carbon fiber concentration resulted in a decrease in dielectric properties. Finally, a lead-free piezoelectric BNT-CF showing dense and uniform microstructure was developed by the microwave sintering process. The promising properties of the BNT-CF make it attractive for many industrial applications.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) due to its properties have taken over the applications to remove industrial waste, can treat wastewater, and catalyze react

Currently, pollution and industrial effluents are depleting soil, water, and aquatic life. Piezoelectric materials are considered potential agents to these problems. Among these Ba_0.85Ca_0.15Zr_0.10Ti_0.90O₃ (BCZT) and SrFe₁₂O₁₉ (SrH) are materials having piezoelectric and magnetic properties prepared by solid state synthesis. The major peaks of compositions were confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and metallic ions with functional groups were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The particle size distribution authenticates BCZT powder ~ 2 µm and SrH are in the range of 1–1.9 µm. The circular morphology of nano-filters was confirmed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The mechanism of piezocatalysis was governed by ultrasonic vibrations to degrade dyes. For this BCZT and SrH nano sized filters were utilized to degrade methyl orange (MO) and phenol blue (PB) dyes. The maximum degradation is ~ 67% observed for methyl orange with SrH nano-filters in 40 min sonication time and for BCZT ~ 46% in 30 min respectively. The redox reactions at the expense of energy explain the phenomenon of producing hydrogen (H₂). The work will help in the applications to produce energy with clean environment from piezo catalytic materials.