A-site cation and morphology control of KSr2Nb5O15 microcrystalline by a modified molten salt method

Abstract A modified molten salt synthesis was explored to investigate the A-site occupancy (K+ and Sr2+) and morphology change of the KSr2Nb5O15 (KSN) microcrystalline. The difference between this work and the conventional method was that the raw materials were pressed into blocks under a certain pressure before calcination. The effects of pressure and temperature on the chemical composition and particle morphology of KSN powder were analyzed. The composition and morphology of the obtained powder varied significantly with the various pressures and temperatures. It was found that as the pressure and temperature increased, more Sr ions tended to occupy vacant A sites and the particle size become uneven. Increasing pressure benefited to the formation of slender particles, while raising calcination temperature could promote the particles growth along diameter direction. The results of the KSN ceramics suggested that this will be an effective way to fabricate the ideal template for the preparation of textured ceramics by adjusting the pressure and temperature.