Processing of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) ceramics from microwave and conventional hydrothermal powders

Lead zirconium titanate (PZT) perovskite powders were synthesized without using any excess lead content by microwave hydrothermal method (M-H) at 122°C and conventional hydrothermal (C-H) method at 138°C. PZT powders prepared by both methods showed a particle size of less than 4 μm. Pellets prepared from these powders and sintered at 1250°C for 4 h, without any additives or sintering aids, showed densities in the range of 92–95% of theoretical density. Variation of relative permittivity and dissipation factor with temperature of these PZT pellets was studied. A maximum permittivity of 20,570, low dissipation factor of 0.002, and Curie temperature of 373°C were observed for sintered pellets prepared from PZT powders obtained by microwave hydrothermal method. The pellets prepared from PZT powders obtained by the conventional hydrothermal method showed a relative permittivity of 16,310, dissipation factor of 0.001, and Curie temperature of 351°C.