The kinetic effect on formation of disordered intergrowth structures in mixed bismuth-layered (Bi3NbTiO9)2(Bi4Ti3O12)1 compounds

A series of intergrowth bismuth-layered (Bi3TiNbO9)2(Bi4Ti3O12)1 ceramics were reactive-sintered to infer their structural characters and microstructural relationship. Combined with XRD and STEM analysis, the long-range-disordered structures were found in this compound accompanied by obvious kinetic effect. Detail study showed that the inhomogeneous liquid phase composition before grain growth-interface induces the emergence of various intergrowth structures. The further epitaxial growth of these potential structures along c-direction builds up the long-range-disordered intergrowth grains. Meanwhile, such growth features make it hard for the (Bi3TiNbO9)2(Bi4Ti3O12)1 system to obtain long-range-ordered intergrowth structure by a conventional solid-state reaction method.