Characterization of bismuth titanate powders

Abstract

Bismuth titanate was prepared from the sol-gel method. Bismuth nitrate and titanium isopropoxide were used as the starting precursors with the mole ratio of Bi:Ti as 4:3. Solutions were mixed in acetic acid medium and heat at 80°C for 2h. Sols were obtained after adjusting the final of pH of solution to 2. Gels were formed after drying at 100°C for 24h. The milled powders were calcined at 500-800°C for 2h. The phase formation was investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Single phase with orthorhombic structure of bismuth titanate was obtained after calcination at 700°C for 2h. The morphology and chemical composition were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The average particle size was 0.50-1.5 μm with the irregular shape. The elemental composition of bismuth, titanium and oxygen showed the characteristic X-ray energy values.