Grain size dependent phase stabilities and presence of a monoclinic (Pm) phase in the MPB region of (1-x)Bi(Mg_1/2Ti_1/2)O_3-xPbTiO₃

The results of the room temperature structural studies on (1-x)Bi(Mg_1/2Ti_1/2)O_3-xPbTiO₃ ceramics using Rietveld analysis of the powder X-ray diffraction data in the composition range 0.28≤x≤0.45 are presented. The morphotropic phase boundary region exhibits coexistence of monoclinic (space group Pm) and tetragonal (space group P4mm) phases in the composition range 0.33≤x≤0.40. The structure is nearly single phase monoclinic (space group Pm) in the composition range 0.28≤x≤0.32. The structure for the compositions with x≥0.45 is found to be predominantly tetragonal with space group P4mm. Rietveld refinement of the structure rules out the coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases in the morphotropic phase boundary region reported by earlier authors. The Rietveld structure analysis for the sample x=0.35 calcined at various temperatures reveals that phase fraction of the coexisting phases in the morphotropic phase boundary region varies with grain size. The structural parameters of the two coexisting phases also change slightly with changing grain size. (author)