Estimation of lattice strain and structural study of BaTiO3/PS polymer composite using X-ray peak profile analysis

Barium titanate-polystyrene polymer composite (BaTiO3/PS) was synthesized by the solvent evaporation method while filler barium titanate was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The prepared sample was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystalline nature and phase of the prepared samples were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The average particle sizes of BaTiO3 and BaTiO3/PS were estimated as 161 nm and 119 nm by SEM morphographs. The Williamson-Hall (W-H), size-strain plot (SSP), and Halder-Wagner (H-W) techniques were employed to determine the crystallite size and inherent lattice strain using X-ray peak broadening analyses. The values of crystallite size computed using the modified Debye-Scherrer equation, W-H approach, and SSP are extremely similar and strongly correlated. It was also observed that crystallite size and lattice strain were not highly correlated.