Preparation of tetragonal barium titanate nanopowders by microwave solid-state synthesis

Tetragonal-phase BaTiO 3 powders of particle size 370 nm were synthesized by microwave sintering at 850 °C. The raw materials were BaCO 3 , TiO 2 , and alanine. SiC microspheres were used as microwave conductors. The effects of the holding time, sintering aids, and SiC addition on the preparation of BaTiO 3 were investigated. The results indicate that the addition of SiC as a microwave acceptor leads to formation of microwave micro-regions. This enables uniform heating of the raw materials and decreases the calcination temperature needed to obtain BaTiO 3 . Alanine coordinates with Ba, and this loosens the metal–CO 3 bond and promotes separation of CO 2 , decreases the BaCO 3 decomposition temperature, and provides a higher nucleation site density. It gives an idea about the microwave solid-state synthesis of BaTiO 3 powder.