Lead zirconate titanate–barium titanate by mechanical activation of mixed oxides

For the first time, the perovskite phase in 0.9Pb (Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃-0.1BaTiO₃(0.9PZT-0.1BT) is triggered to form in an oxide matrix consisting of PbO, ZrO₂, BaO, and TiO₂. Unlike in the solid-state reaction activated by calcination at an intermediate temperature, intermediate phases, such as PbTiO₃, were not observed with increasing degree of mechanical activation prior to the formation of perovskite 0.9Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃-0.1BaTiO₃ phase. This suggests that the nucleation and subsequent growth of perovskite crystallites in the activated oxide composition are not a result of the interfacial reactions that normally occur in the temperature-driven solid-state reaction. The mechanical activation-derived powders can be sintered to a relative density of >97% theoretical at 1100 °C. Sintered 0.9Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃-0.1BaTiO₃ derived from mechanical activation of constituent oxides exhibits a maximum dielectric constant of 775 and a minimum dielectric loss of <2% at room temperature when measured at 1.0 kHz. Received: 3 December 1998 / Accepted: 18 March 1999 / Published online: 24 June 1999