Discontinuous Dissolution of a Liquid Phase in Ba(Ni⅓Nb⅔)O₃ Ceramics

Abstract

Discontinuous dissolution of a liquid phase accompanied by diffusion-induced grain-boundary migration (DIGM) in Ba(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3 (BNN) ceramics has been studied. When the liquid-phase-sintered BNN specimens are heat-treated at low temperatures, the liquid phase formed during sintering is dissolved discontinuously and during the reaction grain boundaries migrate. As the heat-treatment temperature is lowered, the degree of grain boundary migration and dissolution of the liquid phase increase. These results are qualitatively consistent with the coherency strain energy model proposed for the driving force for DIGM.