Chiang Mai Journal of Science

Complex perovskite-like phase of lanthanum magnesium niobate, La(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (LMN) ceramics were fabricated by sintering powder preparing from a mixed oxide synthetic route. The phase formation, densification and microstructure of the sintered samples were investigated. A single phase of perovskite LMN can be successfully achieved in the sintered LMN ceramics. In this connection, X-ray diffractions also indicate a monoclinic unit cell in space group P2₁/n. Microstructural investigations by a combination of SEM and EDX techniques confirm the exact chemical composition of the parent phase with uniformly distribution microstructure. In addition, the presence of some small amount of minor phases La₂O₃ (in nano-scale) and MgO was also observed. In this study, the homogeniety LMN sample was successfully achieved by employing an optimised sintering temperature of 1,600 ^o C for 2 hours.