Surface Characterization of PZN Ceramics Prepared by a Columbite B-Site Precursor

Abstract

Pyrochlore-type PZN ceramics have been obtained from a two-stage process with columbite B-site precursor. In order to determine the chemical composition of these samples, a combination between X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques has been performed. XRD analysis revealed the coexistence of unreacted PbO starting precursor and major phase of the pyrochlore-type PZN phase as average composition from the bulk volume. While different binding energies (multicomponents) of each chemical element e.g. Pb, Zn, Nb and O from the surface of PZN ceramics were identified by XPS, indicating inhomogeneous surface chemical distribution within these columbite-route samples.

Keywords:

• Lead zinc niobate
• columbite precursor
• surface characterization
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Thailand research Fund (TRF), the Commission on Higher Education (CHE), the Synchrotron Light Research Institute (Public Organization) (SLRI), and the Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University.