Abstract
A nanocomposite ceramic with the composition close to 0.9BaTiO3–0.1CaCu3Ti4O12 (BTC) was synthesized using a solid state method through sintering at 950°C for different time durations 3, 6, 9 and 12h. The structural and microstructural details were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. XRD analysis confirmed the existence of BaTiO3 (BTO) and CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) as the primary phases along with CuO and CaTiO3 as the minor aspects. The average grain sizes obtained by SEM analysis were found to be around 269nm, 309nm, 342nm, and 734nm for sintering durations 3, 6, 9 & 12h respectively. TEM analysis showed the particle size in the range of 30±10nm. The surface morphology was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The sample sintered for 3h exhibited very high dielectric constant (ɛr~319,674) at 1kHz and 328K. The presence of semiconducting grains with the insulating grain boundaries significantly attributes to such a high dielectric constant value, supporting the internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) mechanism operative in BTC nanocomposite.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
