Barium titanate is the first ferroelectric ceramics and a good candidate for a variety of applications due to its excellent dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. Barium titanate is a member of a large family of compounds with the general formula ABO3 called perovskites. Barium titanate can be prepared using different methods. The synthesis method depends on the desired characteristics for the end application. The used method has a significant influence on the structure and properties of barium titanate materials. In this review paper, Part I contains a study of the BaTiO3 structure and frequently used synthesis methods.

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) has been of practical interest for more than 60 years because of its attractive properties. BaTiO3 can be prepared using different methods, which can have significant influence on the structure and properties of barium titanate ceramics. In this paper powder of BaTiO3 powders were prepared by two methods. The first was synthesis from polymeric precursors through Pechini process which was carried out as a three-stage process from an oganometallic complex, producing cubic BaTiO3 powders with 40-80 nm primary particles. The second was a mechanochemical synthesis from powder mixture of BaO and TiO2, producing cubic BaTiO3 but with primary particles 200-250 nm. In both cases BaTiO3 ceramics were produced by sintering for 2h at 1300?C without a pre-calcination step. The phases formed and the crystal structure of BaTiO3 prepared by both methods was carried out by XRD analysis. The morphology and microstructure of obtained powders and sintered samples were examined by SEM.