Zinc Titanates Sintered from ZnO and TiO2 Nanowires Prepared by a Hydrothermal Process

The solid-state sintering behaviors of hexagonal-ZnO and anatase-TiO2 nanowires were investigated. ZnO and TiO2 nanowires with high specific surface areas were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Without additive or calcination, zinc titanates were formed with promising microwave properties at low sintering temperatures. X-ray diffraction was applied to study the starting powders and the sintered ceramics. Differential thermal analysis was performed to elucidate the thermal stability of the nanopowders. The phase transformation temperature of zinc metatitanate to zinc orthotitanate shifted downward, and the compositional stoichiometry of the equilibrium phases retained ZnO:TiO2 1:1 in a wide sintering temperature range. This work extends the range of applications of zinc titanates and exhibits great potential for future development of ceramics with a low sintering temperature.