Sol–gel combustion synthesis of Zr-doped BaTiO3 nanopowders and ceramics: Dielectric and ferroelectric studies

The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramic system, Ba(Ti1−x,Zrx)O3, were investigated for compositions 0≤x≤0.2. The primary nanopowders were synthesized using a sol–gel combustion route to obtain the homogenous compounds. X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated that there was a cubic structure for the prepared nanopowders. The nanopowders were pressed into pellet form and sintered at 1250, 1300, and 1350 °C. The results revealed a significant increase in the permittivity of the Zr-doped samples. The sample showed the best dielectric properties and a ferroelectric behavior for the value of x=0.05.