The research is in the area of crystallization and precipitation of sparingly soluble salts to develop expertise in the study of the precipitation and processing of ceramic powders. The programs is complemented by collaboration with staff at Sandia National Laboratories in the development of novel experimental techniques. The objective of the research program is to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms involved in the precipitation of ceramic precursor powders for the manufacture of electronic components. The electronic properties of ceramics are critically dependent on the chemical and physical properties of the precursor powder. Precipitation from solution is proposed as the chemical method for obtaining the desired powder properties. In order to fully exploit this type of processing and control the end use properties of the ceramic, the mechanisms of precipitation are studied. The focus of the work is on the preparation of doped zinc oxide powders for ceramic varistors, but the techniques and analyses developed may be generally applied to other compounds and other ceramic material types.
