The Effects of Firing Temperatures on Phase Formation and Microstructure of Pb0.975Sr0.025TiO3 Ceramics Synthesized via the Combustion Technique

In this work, Pb0.975Sr0.025TiO3 (PST) ceramics were prepared by the combustion technique. Calcination was performed between 700 and 900°C, for 2 h. (CO(NH2)2) was used as fuel to reduce the reaction temperature. The calcined powders were sintered between 950°C and 1150°C, for 2 h. The samples were characterized using: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) A single tetragonal perovskite phase was found in the powders calcined above 850°C. The pure perovskite phase was found in all the sintered pellet samples. The c/a ratio decreased with increasing sintering temperatures. The average particle size and the average grain size tended to increase with increasing calcining and sintering temperatures. The maximum density of 98.74% was obtained from the sample sinterd at 1100°C. The maximum shrinkage was observed in the sample sintered at 1150°C. The Curie temperature and ...