Growth, structure, and morphology of lead titanate crystallites in the sol-gel derived glass—ceramics

Pb-Ti-B, Pb-Ti-Si, Pb-Ti-B-Si, and Pb-Ti-Al-Si gels with high Pb and Ti content have been successfully prepared using the sol-gel technique, and lead titanate crystallites have been obtained in these gel-derived glass—ceramic systems through the in-situ growth process. The growth process, structural development and surface morphology of these glass—ceramics have been systematically investigated using infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results of binding spectra, crystallization process, grain sizes, crystal shapes, and other structural features are reported. The effects of composition on structural evolution and morphological appearance of ferroelectric lead titanate crystallites are also discussed.