Synthesis of a Li- and Ta-Modified (K,Na)NbO3 Solid Solution by Mechanochemical Activation

The synthesis of (K0.485Na0.485Li0.03)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O-3 from a mechanochemically activated powder is presented for the first time. Mechanochemical activation, followed by a single calcination step was found to be a powerful technique for synthesizing a homogeneous solid solution with a low amount of contaminant, coming from the milling equipment, and good electrical properties without the need for a multiple calcination procedure involving intermediate wet-milling steps, which are typically required in the conventional solid-state synthesis route.