Dielectric and Microstructural Study of the SrWO4, BaWO4, and CaWO4 Scheelite Ceramics

MWO4 (M = Ca, Sr and Ba) scheelite ceramics were studied in terms of their syntheses, sintering, solubility in water, and dielectric response after storing them in dry and moist atmospheres. Of the studied scheelites, the CaWO4 possessed the most promising dielectric properties (epsilon = 10.9, Q x f = 105 600 GHz), which were stable under the influence of humidity. BaWO4 and SrWO4 exhibited epsilon = 9.0 and Q x f values of 32 200 and 62 600 GHz, respectively. The most detrimental effect of the moisture was observed for SrWO4. A sodium impurity present in the SrCO3 reagent (0.35 wt%), which was used for the synthesis of the SrWO4, was found to lower the sintering temperature, enhance the grain growth, and change the other properties of the ceramics, such as humidity susceptibility and solubility in water. The evident tendency of the ceramics to attract water and the increased dissolution of tungstate were observed for all MWO4 scheelite ceramics, which were sintered with the help of Na2CO3 or Li2CO3 (0.5 wt%) sintering aids. The results of the present study suggest that the physical and chemical properties of the ceramics should be carefully considered in the case of using of alkaline-containing sintering aids.