Ternary niobate dielectric compositions

The method of making a dielectric material comprising:

• mixing compounds of Pb, Ba, Sr and Nb and heating the mixture in a cycle which produces a mixture including rhombohedral and tetragonal phase crystalline material, said compounds being mixed in proportions which produce the fired ternary niobate composition Pb.sub.x .multidot.Ba.sub.y .multidot.Sr.sub.z (Nb.sub.2 O.sub.6) where:
• x is from 0.1 to 0.4
• y is from 0.1 to 0.4
• z is from 0.4 to 0.5 and the sum of x, y and z is one.

A dielectric material consisting essentially of a fired ternary niobate composition having an approximate formula:

• Pb.sub.x .multidot.A.sub.y .multidot.B.sub.z .multidot.Nb.sub.a Ta.sub.b O.sub.6
• x is from 0.15 to 0.65
• y is from 0.001 to 0.85
• z is from 0.001 to 0.55
• where A and B are different from one another, A is selected from the group consisting of Ba, Ca and Cd, B is selected from the group consisting of Sr, Ca and Cd, x, y and z represent the mole fractions of each of Pb, A, and B in said composition, the sum of x, y and z being one, and a and b are the mole fractions of Nb and Ta, a and b being finite and the sum of a and b being 2.

A dielectric material consisting essentially of a fired mixture of:

• Pb.sub.x .multidot.Ba.sub.y .multidot.Sr.sub.z (Nb.sub.2 O.sub.6) and a rare earth oxide selected from the group Nd.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ce.sub.2 O.sub.3 and La.sub.2 O.sub.3, wherein said composition is a mixture of from 97.0 to 99.75 mole percent of Pb.sub.x .multidot.Ba.sub.y .multidot.Sr.sub.z .multidot.(Nb.sub.2 O.sub.6) and from 0.05 and to 3.00 mole percent of said rare earth oxide, where
• x, y and z represent the mole fractions of each of Pb, Ba and Sr in said composition,
• where x is from 0.15 to 0.65,
• y is from 0.001 to 0.85;
• z is from 0.001 to 0.55, and where
• the sum of x, y and z is one.