Grain growth and twin formation in 0.74PMN-0.26PT

The mechanisms controlling normal and exaggerated grain growth in lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) ceramics have been investigated by varying the PbO-based liquid-phase volume fraction from 0.03 to 0.6 and sintering temperature from 900degrees to 1100degreesC. There is a transition in matrix grain growth rate and matrix grain shape with liquid fraction. samples with liquid volume fractions less than similar to0.15 show relatively small equiaxed grains resulting from grain-to-grain impingement. Samples with higher liquid fractions show significantly larger, facetted, cube-shaped grains, whose size is independent of liquid fraction, indicating that a surface nucleation rate mechanism controls growth in this regime. Exaggerated grains were found in the high liquid fraction samples. Electron backscatter diffraction showed that all of the exaggerated grains contained 60degrees <111> twins but none of the normal matrix grains contained twins. The reentrant angles in the twinned grains give them a growth advantage over untwinned grains, resulting in a population of exaggerated grains.