Preparation and properties of the barium borate glassy matrix composite materials containing fused silica and monoclinic zirconia

Abstract

In this work, the LTCC composite materials containing fused silica and monoclinic zirconia ceramic particles, respectively, which based on the composite matrix composed of the barium borate glassy matrix and α-alumina ceramic particles, were prepared by traditional solid-state preparation process at a sintering temperature of 900 °C. Sintering mechanism and physical properties, e.g. dielectric properties and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), of the LTCC composite ceramics are investigated and discussed in detail in terms of their mineral phase composition. The results indicate that a barium borate glassy phase can be easily formed from a barium borate compound, which is obtained by the chemical combination of barium hydroxide octahydrate and an aqueous solution of boric acid, at a sintering temperature of 900 °C. In turn, the barium borate glassy melts can supply a liquid phase sintering aid for the fabrication of the LTCC composite ceramics with the sintering temperature of 900 °C during sintering. The introduction of the α-alumina ceramic particles to the barium borate glassy matrix can improve the sintering behavior whereas the presence of fused silica or monoclinic zirconia particles in the composite ceramics is important to adjust the dielectric, thermal and mechanical properties of the LTCC composite materials. The work may be referenced for the fabrication of multi-layer LTCC structures with tailored physical properties.