Abstract: By using lead acetate, zinc propionate, niobium ethoxide, zirconium propoxide and titanium butoxide as precursors, zinc and niobium modified lead zirconate titanate (PZN-PZT) gel fibers were
fabricated by the sol-gel method. Prolyzed and sintered, The PZN-PZT ceramic fibers with a diameter of about 25μm were obtained.
The SEM micrographs show that these ceramic fibers are dense and uniform. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that sintering temperatures will
affect the crystal structure of PZN-PZT ceramics. When the sintering temperature higher than 1250℃, the sintered ceramics and ceramic
fibers have a pure perovskite structure. The densities of the bulk ceramic and ceramic fiber are 7.70×10³kg/m³ and 7.80×10³kg/m³, which
were measured by Archimedes method. The electromechanical coupling coefficient k_t, piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ and relative permittivity
ε of the PZN-PZT fiber/epoxy 1-3 composite disk with 63% fibers loaded are 0.65, 403 pC/N and 1300, respectively. The k_t, d₃₃ and ε
of the PZN-PZT ceramics made from the sol-gel powder are 0.48, 600 pC/N and 2627, respectively.

Key words: ceramic fiber, 1-3 composites, sol-gel, PZT