Low temperature synthesis and characterization of strontium stannate–titanate ceramics

• Published in: Materials chemistry and physics Vol. 130; no. 3; pp. 1246 - 1250
• Main Authors: Stanulis, A., Selskis, A., Ramanauskas, R., Beganskiene, A., Kareiva, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2011
• Subjects: Ceramics; Chemical synthesis; Crystallites; Diffraction; Microstructure; Morphology; Oxides; Scanning electron microscopy; SEM; Stannates; Strontium; Strontium titanates; Oxides; SEM; Ceramics; Chemical synthesis; Microstructure
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2011.09.005

► Novel synthetic approach to SrTiO 3, SrSnO 3 and mixed SrSn 1− x Ti x O 3 powders. ► The SEM micrographs of SrTiO 3 showed the formation of plate-like particles (1–5 μm). ► The suggested synthesis, however, gave nearly rod or stick SrSnO 3 particles. ► The crystal width was from 500 nm to 3 μm and length from 10 to 40 μm. ► The SrSn 1− x Ti x O 3 showed different microstructure from those of SrTiO 3 and SrSnO 3. A novel modified chimie douce synthetic approach based on the gel to crystallite conversion (G–C) method has been developed to prepare strontium titanate SrTiO 3, strontium stannate SrSnO 3, and mixed strontium stannate–titanate SrSn 1− x Ti x O 3 ( x = 0.05–0.5). The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation of fully crystalline SrTiO 3 was observed in the temperature range of 800–1000 °C. The formation of monophasic SrSnO 3 occurs in the temperature range of 700–900 °C. At lower and higher temperatures the formation an impurity phases such as SrCO 3 and SnO 2 takes place. The same synthetic approach has been applied for the preparation of mixed strontium stannates–titanates SrSn 1− x Ti x O 3. The SEM images of SrTiO 3 samples indicated that the powder particles are 1–5 μm in size having approximately plate-like shape. Quite different surface morphology was determined for SrSnO 3 samples revealing the size of crystals from 500 nm to 40 μm. For the composition with x = 0.15, it was observed that the grain growth is uniform and the size of the grains is of the order of ∼2–5 μm.