Synthesis, characterization and sintering of nanocrystalline titania powders produced by chemical vapour synthesis

The chemical vapour synthesis (CVS) route is a versatile process that can be used for the synthesis of nanocrystalline ceramics with very small crystallite sizes having a narrow particle size distribution. In this study, a CVS technique was used to prepare nanocrystalline titania from tetraisopropyl orthotitanate at a processing temperature of 1273 K (1000 °C). High resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used for the characterization of the as-synthesized powders. Green bodies were produced by a combination of uniaxial and cold isostatic pressing, which were then sintered. A simple pressureless sintering route was established that led to the production of a dense titania ceramic with a uniform microstructure and an average grain size well in the nanophase regime.