A polymer solution technique for the synthesis of nano-sized Li₂TiO₃ ceramic breeder powders

Nano-sized Li₂TiO₃ powder was fabricated by an organic-inorganic solution route. A steric entrapment route employing ethylene glycol was used for the preparation of the nano-sized Li₂TiO₃ particles. Titanium isopropoxide and lithium nitrate were dissolved in liquid-type ethylene glycol without any precipitation. With the optimum amount of the polymer, the metal cations (Li and Ti) were dispersed in the solution and a homogeneous polymeric network was formed. The organic-inorganic precursor gels were turned to crystalline powders through an oxidation reaction during a calcination process. The dried precursor gel showed the carbon-free Li₂TiO₃ crystalline form which was observed above 400 °C. The primary particle size of the carbon-free Li₂TiO₃ was about 70 nm, and the structure of the crystallized powder was porous and agglomerated. The powder compact was densified to 92% of TD at a relatively low sintering temperature of 1100 °C for 2 h.