Improvement in dielectric properties of Zn-doped CaCu3Ti4O12 electroceramics prepared by modified mechanical alloying technique

A single-phase of calcium copper titanate (CaCu3Ti4O12) was produced at lower temperature and shorter calcination time via a combination of solid state reaction and mechanical alloying techniques. The raw materials mixture was subjected to fast ball-milling for 5 h. The mixture was calcined at 750 degrees C for 9 h to form a single-phase CaCu3Ti4O12. Effect of zinc dopant to the dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 had been studied. At lower frequencies, it was found that the dielectric constants had a minimum value at 1.5 mol% Zn. The minimum dielectric loss was observed at 5 mol% Zn. At I kHz, the dielectric loss decreases from 30% (undoped) to a minimum value of 18% at 5 mol% Zn dopant. This result indicates that certain Zn dopant can be used to improve the dielectric loss properties of CaCu3Ti4O12. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.