A comparative study of structural and electrical properties of Ba_0.8Pb_0.2TiO₃ nanocrystalline ceramics prepared by microwave and spark plasma sintering

The barium lead titanate (Ba_0.8Pb_0.2TiO₃, termed BPT) ferroelectric ceramics were prepared using microwave sintering and spark plasma sintering (SPS) techniques. The formation of single phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The SPS-prepared BPT ceramics exhibited higher density and smaller grain sizes as compared with the microwave-sintered ones. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties were compared between the two-technique-prepared ceramics. It was found that the dielectric constant at room temperature was ∼500 higher for the SPS-prepared sample than for the microwave-sintered one, and ∼6000 higher at Curie transition temperature. The remnant and spontaneous polarization values were ∼2 times larger for the SPS-prepared sample as compared with the microwave-sintered one. On the whole, the promising SPS technique possessed distinguished characteristics of energy-saving, rapid processing and uniform temperature distribution throughout the sample. - Highlights: • BPT nanocrystalline ceramics were synthesized by SPS and microwave sintering. • Dielectric constant at T_c is ∼6000 higher for the SPS sample than for the microwave one. • Remnant polarization value is 2 times larger for the SPS sample than for the microwave one