Influence of Ga2O3 on structural and morphological properties of lead-free BCT at low temperature

Abstract

Lead-free perovskite Barium Calcium Titanate (Ba0.90Ca0.10TiO3 or BCT) nanoparticles and composite of Ga2O3/BCT were prepared via environmentally-benign sol-hydrothermal method at low temperature. The effect of Ga2O3 on the crystal structure, phase purity, surface morphology and elemental analysis were studied systematically by XRD, SEM and EDS. XRD patterns demonstrated a single phase perovskite structure of pure BCT nanoparticles. With the addition of Ga2O3, the average crystallite size of the sample increased due to narrowing of peak width in XRD patterns. To compare other structural parameters like energy density, stress and lattice micro strain of BCT and Ga2O3/BCT, various calculations methods like Scherrer, Williamson-Hall and Size-Strain plot were carried out. With the addition of Ga2O3 in BCT, the crystallite size was found to increase and SEM micrographs confirmed that the grain size was also strongly affected whereas chemical composition obtained from EDX spectra indicated the even distribution of all the elements in the sample without any impurity.