Electrocaloric effect and high energy storage efficiency in lead-free Ba0.95Ca0.05Ti0.89Sn0.11O3 ceramic elaborated by sol–gel method

Structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, energy storage properties, and electrocaloric effect were studied in lead-free ceramic Ba 0.95 Ca 0.05 Ti 0.89 Sn 0.11 O 3 (BCTSn) elaborated by the sol–gel method. Phase purity structure was confirmed from X-ray data using the Rietveld refinement analysis which revealed the coexistence of tetragonal ( P4mm ) and orthorhombic ( Amm2 ) symmetries at room temperature. Phase transitions were detected by dielectric and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The energy storage properties were determined from P - E hysteresis, and the electrocaloric properties were calculated indirectly via the Maxwell approach. The large value of electrocaloric temperature change of Δ T = 0.807 K obtained at a relatively small electric field of 30 kV cm −1 , and the high energy storage efficiency can make BCTSn ceramic a promising candidate for environmentally friendly refrigeration and energy storage applications.