Mechanochemical Synthesis of Lead Zirconate Titanate from Mixed Oxides

High‐density lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics have been successfully prepared by using a novel mechanochemical fabrication technique, which skips the phase‐forming calcination at an intermediate temperature that is always required in the industrial processes currently in use. The fabrication technique starts with mixing of the low‐cost industrial oxide powders, and the designed PZT perovskite phase is formed by reacting the oxide constituents in a mechanochemical chamber that consists of a cylindrical alumina vial and one stainless‐steel ball inside it. The solid‐state reaction among constituent oxides is activated via mechanical energy instead of high temperature. When mechanochemically activated for 20 h, an ultrafine PZT powder of perovskite structure with a minimized degree of particle agglomeration is obtained. The resulting PZT powder sinters to 99.0% of theoretical density at 1100°C for 1 h. The sintered PZT ceramic exhibits a dielectric constant of 1340 and a dielectric loss of 0.6% at a frequency of 1 kHz at room temperature.