Effect of ceramic powder particle size on the electrical properties of Li0.03Na0.97Ta0.05Nb0.95O3 ceramics

We compare the microstructure, electrical properties, and Raman spectra of ceramic samples of the Li0.03Na0.97Ta0.05Nb0.95O3 ferroelectric solid solution prepared by a conventional ceramic processing technique using ceramic powders with different particle sizes. The Li0.03Na0.97Ta0.05Nb0.95O3 solid solutions prepared from the powders of different particle sizes are shown to differ only slightly in average grain size, pore size, and porosity, but the particle size of the ceramic powder has a significant effect on their electrical properties. The difference in properties between the samples is due not so much to the difference in particle size between the parent ceramic powders as to the fact that the diffusion processes involved in solid-state synthesis may give rise to composition gradients, and grains that differ in size may differ in microstructure and composition.