Low‐Temperature Preparation and Size Effect of Strontium Barium Niobate Ultrafine Powder

Ultrafine strontium barium niobate ((Sr x Ba 1− x )Nb 2 O 6 , SBN) powders were prepared using sol–gel and hydrolysis aging processes. Their structural properties were examined via X‐ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. Our results indicated that the SBN powders crystallize to a pure tetragonal phase at annealing temperatures as low as 700°C. The crystallite size of SBN powders subjected to different thermal treatments was in the range of several tens of nanometers. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the heat flow had a broadened peak. The transition temperature from the ferroelectric phase to the paraelectric phase and the relative dielectric constant of the SBN50 powder were less than the corresponding values of the bulk ceramic and the single crystal.