Effect of Pb (Yb 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 on phase transition and thermal and electrical properties of PZ–PYbN solid solution on PZ-rich side Usa Sukkha • Rangson Muanghlua • Surasak Niemcharoen • Banjong Boonchom • Wanwilai Vittayakorn • Naratip Vittayakorn Received: 27 June 2011 / Accepted: 2 September 2011 / Published online: 14 September 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract The (1 - x)PbZrO 3 –xPb(Yb 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 (PZ– PYbN) ceramics, with the compositions, x = 0.00–0.50, were prepared by the wolframite precursor method. The crystal structure and electrical and thermal properties of PbZrO 3 ceramic were investigated as a function of the composition, x, using X-ray diffraction, dielectric spec- troscopy, hysteresis measurement and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The results indicated that the solid solution, PZ–PYbN, changed from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry when the amount of PYbN increased. The pyrochlore phase identified as Yb/Nb mixed compound was observed at the composition, x C 0.2. For the compositions, x = 0.00–0.10, ceramics showed a sharp phase transition from AFE to PE. Furthermore, the inter- mediate FE phase was absent from the PZ–PYbN system. Introduction Lead zirconate (PbZrO 3 ; PZ) is a well known antiferro- electric (AFE) material, which is important for energy stor- age applications [1–3]. PZ has an orthorhombic structure, with lattice parameters of a = 5.884 A ˚ , b = 11.768 A ˚ , and c = 8.22 A ˚ [4]. The PZ phase changes from orthorhombic AFE phase to cubic paraelectric phase (PE) at 231 °C, and a rhombohedral ferroelectric phase (FE) exists over a very narrow temperature range (225–231 °C) [5]. Sometimes, this FE phase is called the FE intermediate phase. For the PZ single crystal, Roleder et al. [6] reported that separation of point defects in an external DC electric field induces FE behavior below Curie temperature in the internal field of the crystal. Furthermore, a previous study found that the defect can induce the FE phase of PZ, which can be induced by introducing small amounts of relaxor FE (RFE) into PZ, for example, Pb(Co 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 [7], Pb(Ni 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 [8–10], and Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 [11, 12]. In our recent research report, the combination of AFE PZ and AFE Pb(Mg 1/2 W 1/2 )O 3 (PMW) also could induce the FE phase of PZ [13, 14]. The FE phase diagram of PZ–PMW consists of three phases; cubic PE, rhombohedral FE, and orthorhombic AFE. The coexistence of orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases in the (1 - x)PZ–xPMW system is located near the composition, x = 0.1. However, few works have investigated the AFE– AFE systems, and the structure–property relationship between solid solution and the AFE–AFE system is still unclear. Lead ytterbium niobate (Pb(Yb 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 ; PYbN) was determined as AFE material by Smolenskii et al. [15]. PYbN is a complex perovskite with a highly ordered arrangement of B-site, Yb 3? /Nb 5? ions. It undergoes a first order AFE to PE phase transition at 302 °C[16]. Since PYbN is a B-site ordered AFE with sharp dielectric peak near T C * 302 °C, and PZ is an AFE with U. Sukkha  W. Vittayakorn  N. Vittayakorn Electroceramic Research Laboratory, College of Nanotechnology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand U. Sukkha  W. Vittayakorn  N. Vittayakorn ThEp Center, CHE, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand R. Muanghlua  S. Niemcharoen Department of Electronics, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand B. Boonchom King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chumphon Campus, 17/1M. 6 Pha Thiew District, Chumphon 86160, Thailand N. Vittayakorn (&) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand e-mail: naratipcmu@yahoo.com 123 J Mater Sci (2012) 47:1452–1459 DOI 10.1007/s10853-011-5929-2