Effect of suction force and starting powders on microstructure of Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics prepared by magnetic alignment via slip casting

The microstructures of Bi4Ti3O12 (BIT) ceramics made in a vertical magnetic field via a slip casting route are investigated. Two kinds of BIT powders, with equiaxial and plate-like particles, are used. Magnetic force aligns the BIT particles successfully, but the samples are not homogenous. In the top zone, BIT grains in both samples have a–b-plane orientation due to the strong magnetic force. In the bottom zone, the sample using equiaxial particles shows a random microstructure, and the sample using plate-like particles shows c-plane orientation. This is because of the suction force of slip casting.