Sol-Emulsion-Gel Synthesis of Shaped Powders in the System BaO-TiO2

Shaped tetragonal barium titanate (BaTiO₃) particles were prepared by the sol-emulsion-gel method with systematic variation of the concentration of a non-ionic surfactant in the organic phase (oil phase) of water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions above or below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). An acetate-based sol with equivalent oxide ratio BaO : TiO₂ = 1 : 1 was selected for the study. Micelle formation of the surfactant and their self-aggregation apparently played an important role in controlling the shape and size of the droplets and accordingly shape and size of the final barium titanate particles resulting therefrom. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that with low concentration of the surfactant (2–5 vol%) ill-formed spheres were obtained. Spherical particles were formed with increasing the surfactant concentration to 7 vol%. At 12 vol% of the surfactant, rod-like particles were first found to form, which with further increase in surfactant concentration to 15–20 vol%, gradually transformed to cube-like/lamellar type particles. Attempts have been made to explain the various particle shapes in terms of surfactant aggregation.