Phase-Pure of BiFeO3 Ceramic Based on Citric Acid - Assisted Gel by Sintering Time Variation

Abstract

Bismuth ferrite powder (BiFeO3/BFO) with high purity was synthesized by sol-gel process. It was used Bi5O(OH)9(NO3)4 and Fe(NO3)3.9H2O as main compound sources. Citric acid (C6H8O7) was used as fuell. As multiferroic material, BFO promises important technological applications in several devices like data strorage, spinotronics, sensor, actuator devices etc. This research would know the optimum process condition of sol-gel process to produce BFO powder by varying of sintering time. The novelty of this research is how to produce BFO in single phase by simple method. It was used calcination condition at 160°C for 4 hours and sintering condition at 600°C with varying of sintering time of 4, 6 and 8 hours. Thermogravimetric Analysis/Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA), X Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the powder. Loss of mass and heat flow were seen at TGA/DTA test at 160°C approximately (used as reference of calcination temperature). BFO powder sintered at for 8 hours has no secondary phase, meanwhile for another sintering time (4 and 6 hours) it has Bi2O3 as secondary phase. It is also show at SEM observation result that powder with sintering time of 8 hours has finer grain than of 4 and 6 hours sintering at the same temperature. The grains of BFO powder has heterogenous in size, shape and still agglomerated.