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DoITPoMS Micrograph Library Full Record for Micrograph 663
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Full Record for Micrograph 663

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Micrograph no
663
Brief description
Barium titanate ceramic
Keywords
barium, barium titanate, ceramic Link to MATTER Glossary entry for ceramic, ferroelectric domain, herringbone domain structure, twinning Link to MATTER Glossary entry for twinning
Categories
Ceramic
System
BaTiO3
Composition
Not specified
Standard codes
Reaction
Processing
Applications
Sample preparation
Technique
Reflected light microscopy
Length bar
No length bar
Further information
The ferroelectric domains are crystallographic twins which form on cooling the material through the paraelectric (cubic) to ferroelectric (tetragonal) phase transformation at 130ºC. Each grain is mechanically 'clamped' by its neighbours, which prevents it from developing the full tetragonal distortion and results in a state of residual, or 'internal', stress. Twinning reduces this residual stress and thereby reduces the free energy of the material.

The domain pattern was obtained by sectioning a bulk ceramic specimen with a diamond saw, followed by polishing and chemical etching to reveal the domain structure. In this case, the herringbone type domain structure represents the frozen in domain configuration of a grain within the ceramic.

Compare with micrograph ID 664.
Contributor
Prof G Arlt
Organisation
Department of Materials Science, University of Manchester and UMIST
Date
07/11/02
Licence for re-use
DoITPoMS standard terms of use
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