SINTERING OF PLATELIKE BISMUTH TITANATE POWDER COMPACTS WITH PREFERRED ORIENTATION

The sintering of platelike Bi4Ti3O12 powder particles was investigated. Special emphasis was given to the role of particle orientation in the green sheet on densification and microstructure development. Compacts were made by tape-casting and dry-pressing. During the initial stage of sintering, the particles rearranged and formed colonies with the development of face-to-face contacts. Pores between particles in a colony disappeared during colony formation, and the volume of pores between colonies decreased on further heating. Grain growth started when the sintered density reached about 90% of theoretical density. The growth of well-oriented grains increased the degree of orientation. Thus, highly oriented sintered bodies with high densities were prepared by heating at 1150-degrees-C.