Estimation of lattice strain and structural study of BaTiO3/PS polymer composite using X-ray peak profile analysis.

Barium titanate-polystyrene polymer composite (BaTiO₃/PS) was synthesized by the solvent evaporation method while filler barium titanate was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The prepared sample was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystalline nature and phase of the prepared samples were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The average particle sizes of BaTiO₃ and BaTiO₃/PS were estimated as 161 nm and 119 nm by SEM morphographs. The Williamson–Hall (W–H), size–strain plot (SSP), and Halder–Wagner (H-W) techniques were employed to determine the crystallite size and inherent lattice strain using X-ray peak broadening analyses. The values of crystallite size computed using the modified Debye–Scherrer equation, W–H approach, and SSP are extremely similar and strongly correlated. It was also observed that crystallite size and lattice strain were not highly correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]