Fabrication and electrical properties of Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics by spark plasma sintering

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was applied to the production of non-lead ferr oelectric Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics. A powder compact of a calcined oxide mixture was embedded in a mixture of ZrO2 and Sb-doped SnO2 powders in a carbon die and heated for a very short duration under a constant current of 450 A. Th is process led to the rapid densification of the sample with the simultaneo us elongation and coarsening of grains in the sintered body. When a copreci pitated precursor was used as the starting powder, a grain-oriented sample was readily obtained by the SPS method. A strong anisotropy in electrical p roperties was observed for the grain-oriented Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics.