Mechanical alloying (MA) technique has been applied to prepare the PbWO4-ba
sed scheelite-type solid solutions at room temperature. In the case of La-s
ubstitution, the scheelite-type single phase can be obtained by 12 h millin
g. The solubility range of lanthanum ions was 0 less than or equal to x les
s than or equal to 0.4 in the form Pb1-xLayWO4+x/2 and 0 less than or equal
to x less than or equal to 1.0 in the composition of Pb1-xLa2x/3WO4. The l
atter case includes La2/3WO4, which cannot be obtained by the conventional
sintering method. From the powder density measurements, the mechanically al
loyed samples were supposed to prefer the charge compensation by forming ca
tion vacancy rather than by forming oxide ion interstitials, in these lanth
anum-substituted PbWO(4)s. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv
ed.