Preparation and characterization of a zinc oxide nanopowder supported onto inorganic clay.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles are obtained by a wet chemical method using zinc sulphate as a raw material. Doping sepiolite, micro-fibrous inorganic clay, with ZnO after precipitation under basic conditions and subsequent thermal treatment is investigated as both materials are abundant. They are used for the development of humidity and gas sensors of great environmental importance. The particle size distribution, the morphology and the composition of the powder samples are characterized by X-Ray diffraction accompanied by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and High Resolution-Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. The data obtained confirm the formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles of a size of 10 nm on the modified sepiolite grains

Dielectric properties of bismuth titanate ceramics containing SiO2 and Nd2O3 as additives

Bismuth-titanate ceramics containing SiO2 and Nd2O3 as additives are synthesized by melt quenching method in the system Bi2O3-TiO2-Nd2O3-SiO2 in the temperature range of 1250–1500 °C. The phase composition of the obtained materials is determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Using scanning electron microscopy different microstructures are observed in the samples depending on the composition. Different values of conductivity, dielectric losses and relative permittivity are obtained depending on the composition. It is established that all investigated samples are dielectric materials with conductivity between 10^-9 and 10^-13 (Ω·cm)^-1 at room temperature, dielectric permittivity from 1000 to 3000 and dielectric losses tgδ between 0.0002 and 0.1