Characterization, sintering and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline barium titanate synthesized through a modified combustion process

Nanocrystalline barium titanate has been synthesized through a modified combustion process in a single step for the first time. The as-prepared barium titanate powder is cubic perovskite with lattice constant a=4.018 angstrom. The phase purity of the nanopowder was examined using thermo gravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopic investigations have shown that the particle size of the as-prepared powder is in the range 20-40 nm. The agglomerate size distribution of the as-prepared powder was studied using atomic force microscopy. The nanoparticles of barium titanate were sintered to 97% of the theoretical density at a temperature of 1350 degrees C for 3 h. The microstructure of the sintered surface was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The dielectric constant and loss factor of the sintered pellets at 1 MHz measured at room temperature were 1223 and 3.5 x 10(-3) respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved