Articles written in Bulletin of Materials Science

• Impedance analysis of Pb2Sb3LaTi5O18 ceramic

Polycrystalline sample of Pb2Sb3LaTi5O18, a member of tungsten–bronze (TB) family, was prepared using a high temperature solid-state reaction technique. XRD analysis indicated the formation of a singlephase orthorhombic structure. The dielectric studies revealed the diffuse phase transition and the transition temperature was found to be at 52°C. Impedance plots were used as tools to analyse the sample behaviour as a function of frequency. Cole–Cole plots showed Debye relaxation. The activation energy was estimated to be 0.634 eV from the temperature variation of d.c. conductivity. The nature of variation of d.c. conductivity with temperature suggested NTCR behaviour.

• Synthesis of nanocrystalline fluorinated hydroxyapatite by microwave processing and its in vitro dissolution study

Synthetic hydroxyapatite, (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HA), is an important material used for orthopedic and dental implant applications. The biological hydroxyapatite in the human bone and tooth is of nanosize and differs in composition from the stoichiometric HA by the presence of other ions such as carbonate, magnesium, fluoride, etc. Osseointegration is enhanced by using nanocrystalline HA. This stimulates the interest in synthesizing nanocrystalline HA by different routes and among the methods, microwave processing seems to form the fine grain size and uniform characteristic nanocrystalline materials. Fluorinated hydroxyapatite, (FHA, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2-𝑥F𝑥), possesses higher corrosion resistance in biofluids than pure HA and reduces the risk of dental caries. The present work deals with the synthesis of nanocrystalline FHAs by microwave processing. The crystal size and morphology of the nanopowders were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The functional groups present in FHA powders were ascertained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR) and laser Raman spectroscopy. Since the physiological stability is an important parameter while selecting the material for implantation, the in vitro dissolution studies of FHAs with different fluorine contents were carried out.

• Impedance and a.c. conductivity studies of Ba(Pr1/2Nb1/2)O3 ceramic

Impedance and electrical conduction studies of Ba(Pr1/2Nb1/2)O3 ceramic prepared through conventional ceramic fabrication technique are presented. The crystal symmetry, space group and unit cell dimensions were estimated using Rietveld analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the formation of a single-phase cubic structure with space group, 𝑃𝑚$\bar{3}$𝑚. EDAX and SEM studies were carried out to study the quality and purity of compound. To find a correlation between the response of the real system and idealized model circuit composed of discrete electrical components, the model fittings were presented using impedance data. Complex impedance as well as electric modulus analyses suggested dielectric relaxation to be of non-Debye type and negative temperature coefficient of resistance character. The correlated barrier hopping model was employed to successfully explain the mechanism of charge transport in Ba(Pr1/2Nb1/2)O3. The a.c. conductivity data were used to evaluate density of states at Fermi level, minimum hopping length and apparent activation energy.

• # Bulletin of Materials Science

Volume 43, 2020
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Continuous Article Publishing mode

• # Editorial Note on Continuous Article Publication

Posted on July 25, 2019