The effects of dispersants on sinterability and microwave dielectric properties of Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 ceramics

This study investigated the effects of dispersants (deionised water and ethanol) on the sinterability, phase compositions and microwave dielectric properties of Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 ceramics prepared by a solid-state reaction. Results showed the presence of impurity phases in low-density ceramics with ethanol as dispersant sintered from 1500 °C to 1550 °C. However, pure phase was detected in samples prepared with deionised water as dispersant when sintering temperature ranged from 1512 °C to 1550 °C. The microwave dielectric properties of the samples with deionised water significantly improved compared with those with ethanol. Thus, deionised water was suitable for preparing Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 ceramics with a high density of approximately 98%, εr of 39.83, Q × f of 33,700 GHz and τf of + 3.5 ppm/°C.