STUDY OF SINTERING BEHAVIOR OF Ba_2AISnO_(5.5) CERAMIC POWDER COMPACTS AS SUBSTRATE FOR TEMPERATURE SENSING DEVICES

摘要

Ceramic components are frequently used as substrates for the production of temperature sensing devices in petroleum industries, in view of their high thermal and electrical resistance and inertness in hostile ambient conditions. Complex cubic perovskite oxide ceramics have a great advantage in terms of their varied physico-chemical characteristics with the substitution of structural elements in the respective formula units. In this context, we have produced Ba_2AlSnO_(5.5) ceramics by solid state reaction process. Structural characteristics, studied by powder x-diffraction, reveal that Bas 52AlSnO_(5.5) ceramic has an ordered complex cubic perovskite structure. Ba_2AlSnO_(5.5) ceramics were sintered in the form of circular discs of 10 and 15 mm diameters and 2 mm thickness, in the temperature 1200 to 14000C by normal sintering process. The microstrutural characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscopy on both polished and fracture surfaces. The SEM micrographs show homogenous surface morphology and particle size distribution. Mechanical hardness of the sintered Ba_2AlSnO_(5.5) ceramics were studied by Vicker's hardness tests. The results of these studies have been presented and discussed in this work.