ABSTRACT
Powders of Nb doped Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 of composition close to the morphotropic phase boundary have been prepared by two different solid state routes and by a sol-gel method. The densification and grain growth have been studied during natural sintering,and annealing treatments in order to get dense fine grained samples. Ceramics with grain sizes ranging from 1 to 10 μm and relative densities above 98% have been obtained. The results are discussed in terms of densification and grain growth, with a focus on local fluctuations of Zr/Ti ratio and their homogenisation versus sintering conditions.
