Preparation of Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3-Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3 solid solution nb powder from hydrothermally-treated precursors

Fine Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3-Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3 powder was successfully prepared from the hydrothermally-trrated precursors. During the calcination process of the precursors, a pyrochlore phase appeared as an intermediate compound. At elevated temperatures, the Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3-Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3 solid solution having a perovskite phase with a pseudocubic symmetry was formed. The formation rate of the perovskite phase and the morphology of the obtained calcined powder were significantly influenced by the starting materials used in the hydrothermal process. By using the precipitates of constituent species as starting materials, the hydrothermally prepared powder was found to exhibit a better sinterability than that prepared from the solid-state reaction process.