Preparation and properties of Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.52Ti0.48)(0.98)O-3 by a new sol-gel technique

A new sol-gel processing technique has been developed for preparing Nb-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with the composition Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.52Ti0.48)(0.98)O-3. The sol was prepared from Pb(NO3)(2), NbCl5, Ti(OC3H7)(4) and Zr(C4H9O)(4), dissolved in N, N-dimethylformamide with stirring at ambient atmosphere. The gel was calcined at 500 degrees C for 30 min and pressed pellets were sintered in air at 1000 degrees C for 2-20 h. The average grain size in the pellets sintered for 4 h was about 1.4 mu m, which was smaller than that in undoped PZT pellets. Nb doping decreased angle alpha in the rhombohedral crystal structure, thereby enhancing electromechanical coupling.