The role of tin oxide addition on the properties of microwave treated CaCu3Ti4O12

Abstract

A microwave (MW) irradiation process was performed to pre-sintered CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂. A conventional furnace was used for calcination as well as for the sintering processes, whilst a domestic microwave oven was employed for MW irradiation in order to produce better morphology, improved phase structures and dielectric properties of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ products. SEM analysis shows that the microstructures of MW irradiated samples are denser, with larger grain size if compared to the untreated samples. Dielectric properties also have been improved by MW treatment with higher dielectric constant and lower dielectric loss. Meanwhile, the addition of tin oxide (SnO₂) to CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ provides strong effects on the dielectric constant of both without and with MW irradiated samples. It was found that the dielectric constant of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ decreases exponentially with mole percentages of SnO₂. However, the addition of SnO₂ shows better dielectric loss properties of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂.

Keywords

• Ceramics;
• Heat treatment;
• Electron microscopy;
• Dielectric properties

Materials Chemistry and Physics

Volume 112, Issue 1, 15 November 2008, Pages 83–87