Effect of pore-forming agent on PTCR characteristics of n-BaTiO3

Porous n-BaTiO3 ceramics are synthesized by the addition of pore-forming agent into the (Ba,Sr)TiO3 powder. From the DTA-TGA analysis for samples containing the PEG and corn-starch, it was found that an exotherm occurred at 262 and 315°C, respectively, weight loss commenced at 165 and 252°C, and was virtually complete by 265 and 472°C, respectively. The porosity of n-BaTiO3 ceramics increased and the grain size decreased with increasing the pore-forming agent. From the XRD analysis at high angles, all the samples with and without the pore-forming agent at room-temperature exhibit the tetragonal structure. PTCR jump of the samples containing pore-forming agent is 1-2 orders higher than that of sample without the pore-forming agent. It is also found that the development of PTCR characteristic in the porous n-BaTiO3 ceramics containing pore-forming agent is related to grain boundaries, which basically equals that in ordinary BaTiO3 without pore-forming agent, from the complex impedance results.