Preparation of [110] grain oriented barium titanate ceramics by templated grain growth method and their piezoelectric properties

[110]-oriented barium titanate (BaTiO3) ceramics were prepared by templated grain growth (TGG) method using [110]-oriented BaTiO3 platelike particles as a template and hydrothermal BaTiO3 sphere particles,with different particle sizes as a matrix. The degree of orientation along the [110] direction, F-110, was measured using an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern by the Lotgering method. To obtain both a high density and a high F-110, the preparation conditions were optimized as functions of matrix particle size, volume fraction of the template to the matrix, and sintering temperature. As for the results, BaTiO3 grain-oriented ceramics with a high density of more than 96% were successfully prepared despite various F-110 values from 0 to 98%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that their average grain sizes were always approximately 75 pm despite various F-110 values and there were no anisotropic microstructures. These grain-oriented BaTiO3 ceramics were poled at 100 degrees C, and their piezoelectric properties were measured using a resonance-antiresonance method and a piezo C 33 meter for d(31) and d(33) piezoelectric constants. As for the results, the d(31) values were almost constant at -50 pC/N despite various F-110 values, while the d(33) values increased with increasing F-110 values, and at around an F-110 of 85%, d33 reached a maximum of 788pC/N.