Preferentially orientated precipitation in MnTiO3 single crystals

Preferentially orientated precipitation of -TiO₂ (rutile) needles in single crystals of MnTiO₃ grown by a floating-zone method under a controlled atmosphere of oxygen fugacity was studied. Optical microscopy and X-ray analysis revealed that the orientation relation between the -TiO₂ precipitates and the MnTiO₂ matrix is: {000 1}MnTiO₃// {111}-TiO₂ and 11¯20MnTiO₃// 110-TiO₂. The precipitation phenomenon was explained by introducing a nucleation and growth mechanism which was experimentally supported by heat treating experiments.