Structure, morphology, sintering behavior, and microwave dielectric properties of 6CaNdTiO–4Nd(ZnTi)O ceramics prepared via citrate precursor method

This paper reports a controllable synthesis of 6CaNdTiO–4Nd(ZnTi)O (6CNT–4NCT) nanopowders by the citrate precursor method. The structural and micromorphological features of the nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, respectively. The sintering behavior and microwave dielectric characteristics were studied in the form of the bulk ceramics derived from the as-synthesized powders. The results showed the direct formation of single phase 6CNT–4NCT without any impurity after calcining the citrate precursor at 700 °C. Moreover, the as-synthesized powder had good dispersion and high sinterability, which were beneficial for sintering of ceramics. The 6CNT–4NCT ceramics were well sintered at 1220 °C and possessed attractive dielectric properties: ε = 58.2, Q × f = 57,150 GHz, and τ = + 1.7 ppm/°C.