Ceramic based on strontium titanate (SrTiO3, abbreviated ST) is an example of modern ceramics that are widely used in the field of electronics. It is usually prepared by a high-temperature process (sintering), which is very energy- and time-consuming. Therefore, researchers are trying to develop fabrication procedures for electronic elements that are based on ceramic at lower temperatures. An example of this is room-temperature densification method. In my master thesis I used this process to prepare 0-3 composites based on ST ceramics.
My focus was on finding such a binder that would successfully bind particles of ceramics together, resulting in a high relative permittivity and low dielectric losses of prepared composite. In previous studies, the fabrication process of composite at room temperature, based on ST with Li2MoO4 as a binder, has already been optimized. I focused on finding new binders that could be used in low-temperature densification process. For this purpose, I synthesized and then used in the preparation of composites three new binders: Na2MoO4, Na2WO4 in Na2SiO3. The results of FTIR and XRD analysis showed that no chemical bonds were formed during the fabrication of composites. For comparison of particles arrangement in composite and microstructure analysis, scanning electron microscope was used, combined with EDS mapping analysis. According to the comparison of dielectric properties of prepared composites, used binders proved to be an excellent alternative to the Li2MoO4 binder.
Fabrication of composites with low-temperature densification method and an additional drying step at 110°C was compared with the process of composite pressing at elevated temperature; 130°C. Composites prepared at elevated temperature had higher value of dielectric constant. In both cases the composite with Na2SiO3 binder was shown to have the best dielectric properties. The relative permittivity of aforementioned composite obtained at 1 MHz was 111 for composite fabricated at room temperature and 134, respectively for composite fabricated at elevated temperature. Dielectric losses were 0.005 in both cases.
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