Sintering temperature driven structural and dielectric evolution of forsterite ceramics

Keziz, Ahcene and Heraiz, Menad and Aissani, Linda and El-Nasser, Karam S. and Ismael, Ali and Taha, Taha Abdel Mohaymen (2026) Sintering temperature driven structural and dielectric evolution of forsterite ceramics. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 118 (3): 64. ISSN 0928-0707

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Abstract

This work reports the effect of sintering temperature (1400–1500 °C) on the structural, microstructural, and dielectric properties of forsterite (Mg2SiO4) ceramics synthesized via a sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of phase-pure orthorhombic forsterite 1500 °C, while samples sintered at 1400 °C contained 2.3 wt% MgO. Microstructural analysis revealed a density increase from 78%–88% and a reduction in open porosity from 17% to 9% with increasing sintering temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis identified hopping conduction as the dominant mechanism, with DC activation energy decreasing from ~1.12 eV to ~0.96 eV as the sintering temperature increased from 1400 - 1500 °C. The ceramics exhibited a low-frequency dielectric constant (εr) that increased with temperature. The results demonstrated that a sintering temperature of 1500 °C is optimal for achieving high density (2.88 g/cm³), reduced electrical activation energy, and superior microstructural properties, crucial for advanced electronic applications. Graphical Abstract: Sol-gel forsterite ceramics sintered at 1400–1500 °C show improved density (78–88%) and reduced MgO impurities. Hopping conduction dominates; optimal 1500 °C yields high density (2.88 g/cm3) and low activation energy (0.96 eV).