“…The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of bar ium on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of ceramics in the multicomponent system (z = 0 and 0.05, m = 0.4541, y = 0.0982, n = 0.1477, x = 0.3), near a morphotropic phase region [14], pre pared by a standard ceramic processing technique via a columbite route [15]. The columbite like com pounds MgNb 2 O 6 , NiNb 2 O 6 , and ZnNb 2 O 6 were syn thesized from the oxides MgO, NiO, ZnO, and Nb 2 O 5 in two steps: in the case of ZnNb 2 O 6 and MgNb 2 O 6 , fir ing at t 1 = 1000°C and t 2 = 1100°C for 6 and 4 h, respec tively; in the case of NiNb 2 O 6 , firing at t 1 = 1000°C and t 2 = 1240°C for 6 and 2 h, respectively.…”