The Effect of Various Sintering Condition to the Electrical Characteristics of Fe2TiO5 Ceramics for NTC Thermistor

Iron Titanium Oxide (Fe2TiO5) ceramics for negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor have been synthesized in various sintering condition in order to know the effect of sintering condition, namely, temperature, time and atmosphere condition, on the characteristic especially the electrical characteristic of Fe2TiO5 ceramics. Temperature conditions are adjusted between 1200 and 1300 degrees C, for 2 and 8 hours in furnace with atmospheric air and oxygen (O-2) gas. For Fe2TiO5 ceramics sintered in the air, the effect of sintering temperature on the grain size was clearly seen. With increasing sintering temperature and sintering time, grain size of Fe2TiO5 ceramics increased. However, the effect of atmospheric O-2 gas to their grain size is not clearly seen although it has reduced tendency. XRD analysis showed that all ceramics Fe2TiO5 are single phase of orthorhombic structure. From electrical resistances data that was measured at temperature 40 - 250 degrees C, it is found that the value of thermistor constant (B), activation energy (E-a) and room temperature resistance (R-RT) decreases with increasing sintering temperature and sintering time. But the value of B, E-a, and R-RT increases with atmospheric O-2 gas condition.