Sintering dependent Ca2+ solubility in barium titanate synthesized by sol–gel auto combustion method

We report the preparation of ferroelectric Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 (BCT) ceramics by sol–gel auto combustion technique and its specific functional properties. The structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of BCT are strongly depending on the sintering temperature which also improves the phase purity and crystalline quality of the system. The formation of single-phase BCT is realized by sintering at 1450 °C for 4 h. suggesting the solubility limit of Ca2+ cation. Grain size and relative density are increased as the sintering temperature increased. The Rietveld refinement technique is employed for the detailed crystal structural analysis. The temperature and frequency dependent dielectric properties are investigated; the measured dielectric constant is er = 2680 at the transition temperature Tc=120 °C for the single phase ferroelectric BCT. Sintering and electrical poling improved the shape of the hysteresis curve and reduced the leakage current. Electrical conduction mechanism is also discussed.