Abnormal grain growth of niobium-doped strontium titanate ceramics

Abstract

We have investigated the influence of the Ti/Sr ratio and particle size on abnormal grain growth of Nb-doped SrTiO3 ceramics, As the Ti/Sr ratio increases, the onset time and temperature of abnormal growth increase, for specimens sintered at temperatures above 1440 degrees C. When the particle size is decreased by milling, the onset and completion temperatures of the abnormal growth and the final grain size are decreased. The abnormal grains growing during isothermal heating are nearly tetrakaidecahedral in shape, whereas those growing during rising temperature have the morphology of an edge-cut cube.