On the Ferroelectric to Paraelectric Structural Transition of BaTiO3 Micro-/Nanoparticles and Their Epoxy Nanocomposites
Journal article, 2020

BaTiO3 is one of the most widely used ceramic components in capacitor formulation due to its exceptional ferroelectric properties. The structural transition from the ferroelectric tetragonal to the paraelectric cubic phase has been studied in both nano- and micro-BaTiO3 particles. Several experimental techniques were employed for characterization purposes (X-ray diffraction-XRD, laser Raman spectroscopy-LRS, differential scanning calorimetry-DSC and broadband dielectric spectroscopy-BDS). All gave evidence for the structural transition from the polar tetragonal to the non-polar cubic phase in both nano- and micro-BaTiO3 particles. Variation of Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) with temperature in XRD peaks was employed for the determination of the critical Curie temperature (Tc). In micro-BaTiO3 particles (Tc) lies close to 120 °C, while in nanoparticles the transition is complicated due to the influence of particles' size. Below (Tc) both phases co-exist in nanoparticles. (Tc) was also determined via the temperature dependence of FWHM and found to be 115 °C. DSC, LRS and BDS provided direct results, indicating the transition in both nano- and micro-BaTiO3 particles. Finally, the 15 parts per hundred resin per weight (phr) BaTiO3/epoxy nanocomposite revealed also the transition through the peak formation at approximately 130 °C in the variation of FWHM with temperature. The present work introduces, for the first time, a qualitative tool for the determination and study of the ferroelectric to paraelectric structural transition in both nano- and micro-ferroelectric particles and in their nanocomposites. Moreover, its novelty lies on the effect of crystals' size upon the ferroelectric to the paraelectric phase transition and its influence on physical properties of BaTiO3.

BaTiO3 particles

Curie temperature

Raman spectroscopy

ferroelectric to paraelectric transition

dielectric response

polarazition

Author

Georgia Manika

Universityof Patras

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials

Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos

Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH)

Georgios C. Psarras

Universityof Patras

Molecules

1420-3049 (ISSN) 14203049 (eISSN)

Vol. 25 11 2686

Subject Categories

Ceramics

Materials Chemistry

Condensed Matter Physics

Areas of Advance

Materials Science

DOI

10.3390/molecules25112686

PubMed

32527060

More information

Latest update

4/5/2022 6