Bismuth containing crystalline solutions of (1-x)Bi(MgZr)(0.5)O3-xPbTiO3 (BMZ-PT) and [(BiFCO3)(y) - (BiMg0.5Zr0.5)(1-y)](x) - [PbTiO3](1-x) (BMZ-BF-PT) have been developed using conventional ceramic technology. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that both the systems possess a perovskite structure. in which tetragonal to rhombohedral phase transformation appears for x = 0.55 in BMZ-PT and y = 0.20 in BMZ-BF-PT systems. SEM photographs reveal a uniform grain size distribution in the solid solution matrix with the presence of ferroelectric domains in few of the compositions. Ferroelectric hysteresis (polarization-electric field, P-E) loops reveal that increase in BiFeO3 in BMZ-PT systems results in a decrease in residual polarization of the system with change and distortion in the shape of the (P-E) loops. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.