Microstructure and dielectric properties of BST ceramics derived from high-energy ball-milling

Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) ceramics were prepared via a High-energy ball-milling (HEBM) method. Its sintering temperature and grain size were effectively reduced. Better temperature stability and decreased dielectric constant were obtained due to the refined grains, but the tunability was not deteriorated heavily. In addition, the dielectric loss of the HEBM samples kept at the same level with the traditional coarse-grained ceramics, lower than the nano-grained specimens prepared by chemical routes. The formation of BaWO4 phase had no "bad'' effects on the dielectric performance of BST, indicating that HEBM was an effective way in preparing temperature-stable BST ceramics at a lower sintering temperature for tunable applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.