Liquid-phase sintering of barium titanate with lithium fluoride

Lithium fluoride added to BaTiO_3 as a sintering additive can be worthwhile for realizing cheap multilayer ceramic capacitors. Such an addition leads to a decrease both in sintering and Curie temperatures from 1400°–930°C and from 120°–10°C, respectively. A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of thin samples quenched from intermediary stages has shown the microstructure of the sintered material to be complex. A liquid-phase sintering, mechanism occurring at temperatures slightly lower than 730°C has been proposed. Volatility accounts for partial or complete disappearance of the liquid during heat treatments.