An optimized method of vibration Energy Harvesting is based on a step-down transformer that regulates the power flow from the piezoelectric element to the desired electronic load. Taking into account parameters of the whole system, the “optimal” voltage gain the piezoelectric transformer can be determined where the harvested power is maximized for the actual level of mechanical excitation. Consequently the piezoelectric transformers can be used to boost up the conversion of mechanical strain into electrical power with considerable potential in Energy Harvesting applications. Nowadays however, the most important factor is usage of lead free material for its construction. Additional desired parameters of such ceramics include high value of piezoelectric coefficients, low dielectric losses and reasonable power density. This work for first time proposes a lead free K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) material implementation for stack type of piezoelectric transformer that is designed for load efficiency optimization of vibration energy harvester.

Multiferroic six-layer Aurivillius type Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 ceramics was obtained by conventional mixed oxides method. The final sintering process was taken in several different sintering times, which determined changes in properties of discussed ceramic material. The structure and dielectric properties of the material are reported. In order to examine the technological conditions on the crystal structure, XRD analysis was carried out. The microstructure, as well as the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the chemical composition were investigated by scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersion spectrometer. The main purpose of the paper is to present the effect of sintering time on the microstructure, crystallographic structure and dielectric properties of Bi7Fe3Ti3O21 ceramics.

The paper reports the consequences of lanthanum modifications of barium bismuth niobiate (BaBi2Nb2O9) ceramics. The discussed materials were prepared by solid state synthesis and a one-step sintering process. The investigations are focused on dielectric aspects of the modification. The presented results reveal that the trivalent lanthanum ions incorporate twovalent barium ions, which is connected with the creation of A-site cationic vacancies as well as oxygen vacancies. Such a scenario results in significant decreasing in grain boundaries resistivity. The activation energy of grain boundaries conductivity is significantly reduced in the case of lanthanum admixture.

Aurivillius Bi5Ti3FeO15 (BTF) and Bi5-xNdxTi3FeO15 (BNTF) ceramics were successfully synthesized by a simple solid state reaction method. Ceramics were prepared from simple oxide powders Bi2O3, TiO­2, Nd2O3 and Fe2O3. The microstructure, structure, chemical composition and dielectric properties of the obtained materials were examined. Dielectric properties were investigated in a wide range of temperatures (T = 25ºC-550ºC) and frequencies (20Hz-1MHz).

Aurivillius Bi5-xHoxTi3FeO15 (BHTFO) multiferroic ceramics with different holmium doping contents were synthesized by conventional solid state reaction. The effect of holmium doping on the microstructure, structural and dielectric behaviors of BHTFO ceramics were investigated in details. Microstructure and crystalline structure studies of ceramics were carried out at room temperature while dielectric properties were investigated in a wide range of temperature (T = 25ºC-550ºC) and frequency (20Hz-1MHz).