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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Some of the most promising materials for electrostrictive response are Pb(Mg1/3, Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) - ceramics; however, the properties of a given composition are only optimum in a limited range of temperatures. In a previous study, it was found that sol coating of PMN particles modified and improved the electromechanical and/or dielectric properties of the resulting product--doubling induced strain in some cases. Understanding the origin of these changes will help to produce an optimized PMN ceramic for a given application from a single source powder. This work concentrates on the Ti and Zn coatings which gave superior properties within the concentration matrix. The relation between the structure and the enhanced electrostrictive behavior is studied. Structural characterization is done by XRD, TEM and SEM.Electrical measurements of dielectric constant, loss, polarization and strain, the property determinations needed to complete the structure-property suite.