Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Barium Lanthanum Titanate Ceramics

Abstract

The (Ba1-xLax)Ti1-x/4O3 (BLT) ceramics for lanthanum content x in the range 0£x£0.005 were prepared by the sol-gel method. Barium acetate, lanthanum acetate and titanium (IV) propoxide were used as starting materials. Glacial acetic acid and n-propyl alcohol were used as solvents and acetyloacetone was added as stabilizer, followed by hydrolysis. Thermal evolution of the dried gel as well as ceramic powder was studied by simultaneous thermal analysis. The amorphous gel of BLT was calcined in the furnace and pressed into pellets. The compacts were next sintered at temperature T=1100°C. The crystalline structure of BLT ceramics was studied by X-ray diffraction method. Morphology of BLT ceramics was studied by scanning electron microscopy.