Synthesis and dielectric properties of the lase sintered Ba1-xCaxTiO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) nanostructured ceramics

Author(s)

Ronaldo Santos da Silva

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2006-12-11

Examining board members

Antonio Carlos Hernandes; Edson Roberto Leite; Paulo Barbeitas Miranda; Roberto Luiz Moreira; Antonio Ricardo Zanatta

• Advisor: Antonio Carlos Hernandes

Abstract

Ba1-xCaxTiO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) nanocrystalline powders were successfully synthesized for the first time at relative low temperature (500 °C) by a modified polymeric precursor method. The densification of the ceramics was made by two distinct techniques: conventional sintering using an electric furnace; and by a laser sintering process in which a CO2 laser is used as the main heating source. It was achieved dense ceramics with an average grain size about 500 nm from both techniques. However, the laser sintered ceramics presented a higher relative density (99 %) and a transparency of 42% at 940 nm in the sample with 30 mol% of Ca. By numerical simulation of the thermal conduction equation on the linear approximation case and taking account a thermal source with a gaussian profile, it was possible to describe qualitatively the final stage of the laser sintering process. The dielectric characterization of the ceramic bodies were carried out by the impedance spectroscopy technique and three main effects were studied: i) the grain size effect; ii) the Ca concentration influence; and, iii) the sintering technique influence. Modifying the grain size led to changes in the ferro-paraelectric transition magnitude, on the Curie temperature value and in the relative permittivity at room temperature. For Ca2+ concentrations up to 15 mol% the sintered ceramics presented a sharp Curie transition like BaTiO3,while for higher Ca concentrations a diffuse phase transition was observed. The laser sintered ceramics presented a dielectric constant 30% higher than the conventional sintering and a lower dielectric loss. Finally, we have proposed a model based on the oxygen vacancies formation to explain the conductivity increase with the Ca2+ substitution. (AU)