Fabrication nanopowders by high-energy ball-milling and low temperature sintering Li2TiO3 microwave dielectrics

• Li2TiO3 nanopowders are prepared at 600 °C by using high-energy ball milling route.
• The average particle size of Li2TiO3 powders is 86.7 nm.
• Decreasing particle size of powders decreases the sintering temperature of ceramics.
• Li2TiO3 ceramics are obtained at 1000 °C by using nanopowders as a precursor.
• Increasing density will increase microwave dielectric properties of ceramics.

In this study, Li2TiO3 nanopowders were synthesized via a high-energy ball-milling process followed by calcinations and Li2TiO3 ceramics were fabricated by solid-state reaction. The microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Li2TiO3 ceramics were also investigated systematically. Li2TiO3 nanopowders with an average particle size of 86.7 nm were derived at 600 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited that single monoclinic structure of the Li2TiO3 ceramics were obtained at an optimum sintering temperature of 1000 °C for 2 h by using low temperature synthesis nanopowders as a precursor. The samples of Li2TiO3 ceramics with grain sizes in the range of 1.5–5.0 μm showed dense microstructures and excellent microwave dielectric properties (ɛr = 16.4, Q × f = 54,326 GHz, τf = 27.4 ppm/°C). All these results illustrated that high-energy ball-milling method is a simple and practical route to produce Li2TiO3 ceramics for microwave applications.