Nanostructured ceramics of 0.92PbZn(1/3)Nb(2/3)O(3)-0.08PbTiO(3) processed by SPS of nanocrystalline powders obtained by mechanosynthesis

This work reports the successful use of a combination of non-conventional methods of synthesis (mechanosynthesis) and sintering (spark plasma sintering, SPS) for the preparation of nanostructured 0.92PbZn(1/3)Nb(2/3)O(3)-0.08PbTiO(3) (PZN-PT) ceramics. With this approach we achieve not only the stabilization of the PZN-PT perovskite phase in ceramics when sintering is carried out at temperatures between 823 and 873?K, but also good control of the grain growth, necessary to produce nanostructured materials with grain sizes of 15-20?nm. This reduction of the size results in relaxor-type electric behaviour.