Effect of milling on the anisotropic grain growth in a sintered Ba5Nb4O15 specimen and its effect on microwave dielectric properties

In this study, relationships between the processing, microstructure, and properties of barium niobate (Ba5Nb4O15) are investigated. The milling of a Ba5Nb4O15 powder in water is effective with respect to size reduction. However, after milling in water, BaCO3 is formed within the slurry. With the increase in the amount of BaCO3 formed, the aspect ratio of the elongated Ba5Nb4O15 grains increases. The formation of the elongated Ba5Nb4O15 grains prohibits the densification. Hence, the microwave dielectric properties, including permittivity and quality factor, are poor because of the low density. In addition, milling in ethanol is carried out for comparison: A lower amount of BaCO3 is formed after milling in ethanol; the extent of anisotropic grain growth is thus reduced.