Effect of sintering temperature and holding time on structure and properties of Li1.5Ga0.5Ti1.5(PO4)3 electrolyte with fast ionic conductivity

Abstract

Li_1.5Ga_0.5Ti_1.5(PO₄)₃ (LGTP) is recognized as a promising solid electrolyte material for lithium ions. In this work, LGTP solid electrolyte materials were prepared under different process conditions to explore the effects of sintering temperature and holding time on relative density, phase composition, microstructure, bulk conductivity, and total conductivity. In the impedance test under frequency of 1−10⁶ Hz, the bulk conductivity of the samples increased with increasing sintering temperature, and the total conductivity first increased and then decreased. SEM results showed that the average grain size in the ceramics was controlled by the sintering temperature, which increased from (0.54±0.01) μm to (1.21±0.01) μm when the temperature changed from 750 to 950 °C. The relative density of the ceramics increased and then decreased with increasing temperature as the porosity increased. The holding time had little effect on the grain size growth or sample density, but an extended holding time resulted in crack generation that served to reduce the conductivity of the solid electrolyte.