Effect of Processing Parameters on the Morphology of Hydrothermally Derived PbTiO 3 Powders

The influence of processing parameters on the growth and morphology of hydrothermally derived lead titanate (PbTiO 3 ) powders was investigated. PbTiO 3 powder was synthesized by suspending nanocrystalline powders of TiO 2 in aqueous solutions of KOH and Pb(CH 3 COO) 2 ·3H 2 O at temperatures ranging from 120° to 200°C. PbTiO 3 growth initiated in the <100> exposing the (001) surfaces and resulting in a faceted platelet morphology. Particle growth proceeded by further nucleation and growth on existing (001) surfaces. Through repeated dissolution and precipitation, the platelet clusters coarsened into larger cuboidal particles. PbTiO 3 particle size was controlled by either inhibiting or promoting dissolution‐precipitation. Dissolution‐precipitation was inhibited by lowering the KOH concentration or the reaction temperature, or maintaining an excess of lead ions in solution, while it was promoted by increasing the KOH concentration and temperature. Coarsening of PbTiO 3 particles coincided with decreases in the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) peak breadth, the asymmetry of l component XRD reflections, and the c ‐axis length.