Abstract
Effects of mixing method of raw material powders on the formation and sintering of PZT ceramics have been studied. Raw material mixtures were prepared both by conventional wet ball-milling and partial precipitation methods. The latter consists of precipitating PbCO3 in a suspension containing TiO2 and ZrO2. Techniques employed are dilatometry, X-ray diffraction analysis and electron microscopy.
It is shown that the formation depends on the mixing method. Thus, for ball-milling method, PbZrO3 was not detected as a separate phase throughout the course of PZT formation, whereas for the precipitation mixing, PbZrO3 was detected. Dense sintered bodies were not obtained from partial precipitation mixtures even with additives. For ball-milled mixtures, however, addition of Pb2Nb2O7 and MnCO3 caused an abrupt densification at a certain temperature. The observed differences in the formation and sintering of PZT could possibly be attributed to the state of aggregation of reactant powder particles. Results with mixtures prepared by modified mixing methods, together with those by electron microscopy, supported the point of view.
