Nanostructured barium titanate ceramics

Dense nanocrystalline ceramics can be obtained starting from non-agglomerated nanopowders and using low-temperature sintering processes. The preparation and the properties of Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) ceramics and thick films are reported: ceramics were prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at 800 °C of nanopowders produced by a wet chemical process, while films were fabricated by airflow deposition (AD) of mixed fine and coarse powders at room temperature followed by isothermal firing. Ferroelectric ordering was found in both the ceramics and the sintered films by a.c. impedance. The transition from ferroelectric to paraelectric state was broadened over a wide temperature range with Curie-Weiss parameters strongly depressed in comparison to coarse grained ceramics.