Enhanced Sintering Behavior and Electrical Properties of Single Phase BiFeO3 Prepared by Attrition Milling and Conventional Sintering |
Nari Jeon, Kyoung-Seok Moon1, Dibyranjan Rout2, Suk-Joong L. Kang3 |
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University 1Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology 2School of Applied Sciences (Physics), KIIT University 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology |
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ABSTRACT |
Dense and single phase $BiFeO_3$ (BFO) ceramics were prepared using attrition milled calcined (coarse) powders of an average particle size of ${approx}3{mu}m$ by conventional sintering process. A relative density of ${approx}96%$ with average grain size $7.3{mu}m$ was obtained when the powder compacts were sintered at $850^{circ}C$ even for a shorter duration of 10 min. In contrast, densification barely occurred at $800^{circ}C$ for up to 12 h rather the microstruce showed the growth of abnormal grains. The grain growth behavior at different temperatures is discussed in terms of nonlinear growth rates with respect to the driving force. The sample sintered at $850^{circ}C$ for 12 h showed enhanced electrical properties with leakage current density of $4{times}10^{-7}A/cm^2$ at 1 kV/cm, remnant polarization $2P_r$ of $8{mu}C/cm^2$ at 20 kV/cm, and minimal dissipation factor (tan ${delta}$) of ~0.025 at $10^6$ Hz. These values are comparable to the previously reported values obtained using unconventional sintering techniques such as spark plasma sintering and rapid liquid phase sintering. |
Key words:
Bismuth ferrite, Sintering, Grain growth, Densification, Electrical properties |
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