Seeding effects on crystallization and microstructure of sol-gel derived PZT fibers

Dense and fine micro-structured lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fibers were s uccessfully fabricated by sol-gel process from lead acetate dehydrate, zirc onium normal butoxide, and titanium isopropoxide. An addition of perovskite seed particles (2 wt%) can lower the formation temperature of the perovski te phase and a single-phase perovskite PZT fiber can be obtained by heat-tr eating the precursor fiber at 500 degrees C. Crystallization of perovskite phase was improved with the seed content. The diffraction peaks of (200) an d (002) in the PZT fiber with 6 wt% seed was better split than in the PZT f iber without seed, which indicates that the tetragonality of PZT fiber was increased by adding seed particles. Seed particles also affected microstruc ture development of the PZT fibers. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.