Synthesis of phase-pure Pb(ZnxMg1-x)(1/3)Nb2/3O3 up to x=0.7 from a singlemixture via a soft-mechanochemical route

Phase-pure perovskite Pb(ZnchiMg1-chi)(1/3)Nb2/3O3 solid solution (PZ(chi)M (1-chi)N) is obtained for chi less than or equal to 0.7 by heating a milled stoichiometric mixture of PbO, Mg(OH)(2), Nb2O5, and 2ZnCO(3) . 3Zn(OH)(2) .H2O at 1100 degreesC for 1 h. Percent perovskite (f(P)) with respect to t otal crystalline phase decreases with increasing temperature of subsequent heating then increases to 900 degreesC for the mixtures where chi less than or equal to 0.8 and milled for 3 h, For mixtures with chi = 0.9 and chi = 1,f(P) decreases monotonically. Curie temperature increases almost linearly with increasing chi up to chi = 0.7. The maximum dielectric constant at 1 kHz is 2 x 10(4) and 1.7 x 10(4) for the mixture with chi = 0.4 and chi = 0 .7, respectively. The stabilization mechanism of strained perovskite is dis cussed.