Thermo-analysis of nanocrystalline TiO2 ceramics during the whole sintering process using differential scanning calorimetry

The thermodynamics of nanocrystalline TiO2 ceramics during the whole sintering process were analysed using DSC for different heating rates (10, 20 and 30 C/min). The raw TiO2 powder was also studied. The DSC and specific heat capacity (C-p) were also studied. The results showed that there was no obvious endothermic or exothermic peak at the stage where the maximum densification rate occurred for TiO2 ceramics. The ordering process induced by the microstructural densification counteracted the disordering process induced by increasing the sintering temperature. The sintering process was a combination of the ordering process and the disordering one. The activation energy of nanometre TiO2 ceramics determined by the Kissinger method was 103.8 kJ/mol.