SYNTHESIS OF LA(MG2 3TA1/3)O-3 (LMT) BY SOLUTION SOL-GEL METHOD/

Mixed oxides containing La, Mg and Ta were prepared by the sol-gel met hod. A pure phase, La(Mg2/3Ta1/3)O-3 was formed by calcining the gel a t a low temperature(< 1100 degrees C). The gel powders calcined at 110 0 degrees C were made into pellets and sintered at 1500 degrees C for 6 h. The room temperature dielectric constant and tangent loss for the ceramics were found to be 22.0 and 24.8 X 10(-4), respectively, at 10 kHz. LMT was characterized by X-ray diffraction and shown to be hexag onal with lattice parameters a = 9.1844 Angstrom and c = 16.8742 Angst rom. The melting point of the phase was found to be similar to 2000 de grees C by the laser heated pedestal growth technique. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.