Influence of nitrogen and air atmosphere during thermal treatment on micro and nano sized powders and sintered TiO<inf>2</inf> specimens

Abstract

The influence of air and nitrogen atmosphere during heating on TiO2 nano and micro sized powders as well as sintered polycrystalline specimens was analyzed. Sintering of TiO2 nano and micro powders in air atmosphere was monitored in a dilatometer. Non compacted nano and micro powders were analyzed separately in air and nitrogen atmospheres during heating using thermo gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The anatase to rutile phase transition temperature interval is influenced by the powder particle size and atmosphere change. At lower temperatures for nano TiO2 powder a second order phase transition was detected by both thermal techniques. Polycrystalline specimens obtained by sintering from nano powders were reheated in the dilatometer in nitrogen and air atmosphere, and their shrinkage is found to be different. Powder particle size influence, as well as the air and nitrogen atmosphere influence was discussed.