PZT ceramics prepared through a combined method of B-site precursor and wet mechanically activated calcinate in a planetary ball mill

0.02 Nb-PZT 95/5 (PZTN) and 0.02 Nb-0.004La-PZT 95/5 (PLZTN) samples were prepared by a combined method of B-site precursor, whereby ZrO2, TiO2, Nb2O5 and La2O3 were pre-reacted, prior to reaction with PbO. Then the wet mechanically activated PZT calcinates prepared using a planetary ball mill were pressed into pellets and sintered at 1275 °C for 2 h in air. The microstructure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the samples were studied. PLZTN samples had microstructures with fine grains (average grain size of 2.98 µm) in comparison with the PZTN samples (average grain size of 4.53 µm). The relative densities of the PZTN and PLZTN samples were approximately 92.8% and 94.8%, respectively. The piezoelectric coefficient (d33), voltage coefficient (g33), relative dielectric constant (εr), dielectric loss (tanδ), electromechanical coupling coefficient (kp), Young's modulus (Y11E), Poisson's ratio (σ) and mechanical quality factor (Qm) for PLZTN samples were 70 PC/N, 25.50 mVm/N, 310, 0.022, 0.163, 126.1 GPa, 0.2535 and 304, respectively, which were better than those of PZTN samples (65 PC/N, 25.46 mVm/N, 288, 0.024, 0.162, 118.0 GPa, 0.2444 and 227, respectively).