OPTIMUM FIRING TEMPERATURES FOR THE PREPARATION OF (Ba0.84Ca0.15Sr0.01)(Ti0.90Zr0.09Sn0.01)O3 CERAMICS BY THE SOLID-STATE COMBUSTION METHOD

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of the calcination (1,100°C to 1,300°C for 4 h) and sintering (1,250°C to 1,400°C for 4 h) temperatures on the phase formation, morphology, and electrical behavior of (Ba0.84Ca0.15Sr0.01)Ti0.90Zr0.09Sn0.01)O3 (BCSTZS) lead-free ceramics, synthesized using the solid-state combustion technique with glycine as fuel. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data of BCSTZS powders exhibited a pure perovskite structure in samples after being calcined at ≥1,200°C for 4 h, that was 50°C lower calcination temperature compared to the solid-state reaction technique. The Rietveld refinement analysis of the BCSTZS ceramics confirmed the formation of the orthorhombic phase in all samples. The average grain size expanded from 3.94 to 27.61 μm as the sintering temperature rose. BCSTZS ceramics sintered at 1,300°C exhibited the highest dielectric constant (er = 2,767, eC = 8,378) and decent ferroelectric behavior (Pr = 10 mC/cm2 and coercive field Ec = 5.86 kV/cm).