Role of Length Scale on Pressure Increase and Yield of Poly(vinyl butyral)–Barium Titanate–Platinum Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors during Binder Burnout

The binder-burnout kinetics of poly(vinyl) butyral from BaTiO₃ multilayer ceramic capacitors with platinum metal electrodes were analyzed by combining thermogravimetric analysis with infrared spectroscopy. The rate of weight loss was accelerated when both BaTiO₃ and platinum metal were present, and the presence of both metal and ceramic enhanced the production of CO₂. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined by analysis of the weight-loss data with a first-order kinetics model. Then, the decomposition kinetics were incorporated into a coupled heat- and mass-transport model to predict pressure increases as a function of the heating cycle. The heating cycles determined in this manner then were used to evaluate the yield of capacitors 1.3–3.8 cm long and 0.3–1.3 cm high. The optimum yield was realized at an aspect ratio (height:length) of 1:3.