Influence of calcination conditions on phase formation and particle size of indium niobate powders synthesized by the solid-state reaction

Abstract

A wolframite-type phase of indium niobate, InNbO4, has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction via a rapid vibro-milling technique. The formation of the InNbO4phase in the calcined powders has been investigated as a function of calcination conditions by TG-DTA and XRD techniques. Morphology, particle size and chemical composition have been determined via a combination of SEM and EDX techniques. Single-phase InNbO4powders have been obtained successfully for calcination condition of 900°C for 4h or 950°C for 2h with heating/cooling rates of 30°C/min. Higher temperatures and longer dwell times clearly favoured particle growth and the formation of large and hard agglomerates. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.