Use of Sol-Gel Process to Obtain Isotropic Properties of a Titanate Pyrochlore

 A (Ce_0.5Y_0.5)₂Ti₂O₇ pyrochlore titanate was synthesized by the dry process, and its physicochemical properties were studied. In order to improve the isotropy characteristics , the material was synthesized by the sol-gel process using urea and hexa-methylene-tetramine (HMTA), as a dispersant in the liquid phase, the ratio nHMTA-urea/nM to the number of moles of cations (referred to as M) is set at 1.2,meaning that (nHMTA/nM=1.2). Archimedes density of the ceramic gave a value of 3.146 g/cm³. Phase Identification by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a predominance of the pyrochlore phase, identified by comparison with JCPDS standard compound. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy revealed an absorption corresponding to the Ti-O elongation bond appearing at 417 cm^-1 and 514 cm^-1, and a broad absorption band in the 450-600 cm^-1 range, due to the elongation mode of the Y-O, Ce-O and Ti-O bonds. Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has enabled us to assess the microstructure, the particles are well agglomerated and give a compact appearance with good densification, EDS analysis confirms the presence of the (Ce_0.5Y_0.5)₂Ti₂O₇ phase.