Abstract
Lead zirconate (PZ) nanopowders were synthesized by the treatment of precursors with high-energy ball milling for a relatively short time. The effects of ball milling time and rotational speed on the produced nanomaterial were investigated. The calcination temperature of the ball-milled powder was determined from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. The structural properties of the calcined nanoparticles were studied by Fourier transmission infrared (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Well-crystallized PZ nanopowders were obtained after heating at 800 degrees C for 3 h. The diffraction data were refined by the Rietveld method to accurately determine the crystallographic information. Williamson-Hall, Halder-Wagner, and size-strain plot methods were employed to investigate the average crystallite size and lattice microstrain in the prepared samples. The XRD and TEM images confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with an average size in the range of 20-43 nm. The band gap of the nanopowders varied from 3.11 eV to 3.28 eV as established by diffuse reflectance measurement.