Synthesis of bismuth titanate with urea as fuel by solution combustion route and its dielectric and ferroelectric properties

Preparation of ferroelectric bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) is carried out by solution combustion route with urea as fuel at much lower calcinations temperatures. The single phase bismuth titanate was obtained after calcinations at 800 °C. SEM micrographs of the calcined powders show agglomerated, flaky and foamy morphology, which is typical of combustion synthesis and that of sintered ceramics shows the grain formation. Behavior of dielectric constant and dielectric loss as a function of temperature of as-prepared sample are reported in this communication. Ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition occurs at the temperature Tc ∼ 660 °C. Its remnant polarization (2Pr) is very less of the order of 0.012 μC/cm2.