Preparation and characterization of dense Pb1 – xLaxTiO3 (x = 0.0∼0.2) fibers through the sol–gel-related solvothermal process

Abstract

Dense Pb1 − xLaxTiO3 (PLT, x = 0.0∼0.2) ceramic fibers were prepared by the sol–gel-related solvothermal method using lead acetate trihydrate, lanthanum acetate hydrate and titanium isopropoxide as the starting materials. The as-drawn fibers were pretreated in organic solvents, dimethylbenzene and triethylamine, using the solvothermal process prior to the heat treatment for crystallization so as to dehydrate the fibers in situ, remove the organic components and to improve the densification of the precursor fibers. The effects of the solvothermal treatment on the structure and composition of the resultant dense, crack-free transparent PLT ceramic fibers have been investigated. Furthermore, the PLT fibers have been characterized by IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and other techniques.