THERMODYNAMIC STABILITY AND MECHANISMS OF FORMATION AND DECOMPOSITION OF PEROVSKITE PB(ZN1/3NB2/3)O3 PREPARED BY THE PBO FLUX METHOD

The mechanisms of formation and decomposition of the ferroelectric perovskite PZN [Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3] were examined. The formation of perovskite PZN from the excess molten PbO environment is characterized by an initial rapid formation of pyrochlore phase, followed by a subsequent reaction between the intermediate pyrochlore phase, ZnO, and liquid PbO to produce perovskite phase. The pure perovskite PZN crystal prepared by the PbO flux method is thermodynamically unstable over a wide range of temperature (600-degrees to 1400-degrees-C), yielding pyrochlore phase and PbO as the decomposition products. The decomposition reaction of perovskite PZN proceeded uniformly with a spatial homogeneity throughout the specimen. The estimated activation energy of the decomposition reaction is approximately 18 kcal/mol.