Glycothermal process for barium magnesium tantalate nanopowders synthesis

Abstract

Barium magnesium tantalate Ba(Mg(1/3)Ta(2/3))O(3) (BMT) nanopowders were synthesized at a low temperature of 220 degrees C through glycothermal reaction by using Ba(OH)(2)center dot 8H(2)O, Mg(NO(3)).6H(2)O, and TaCl(5) as precursors and 1,4-butanediol as solvent. It is demonstrated that higher synthesis temperatures and co-precipitation of magnesium and tantalum improve the incorporation of magnesium into BMT nanopowders under glycothermal treatment and produce a homogeneous, stoichiometric powder. The glycothermally derived BMT nanopowders are very reactive and provide a, high-density sintered body with 97.1% of theoretical density at a low temperature of 1350 degrees C. The average grain size of the sintered ceramics was 1.2 +/- 0.2 mu m and relatively uniform in comparison with the ceramics sintered with powders produced from the conventional method. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.