Barium titanate Barium titanate Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties. It is used in capacitors, electromechanical transducers and nonlinear optics. The solid exists in one of five polymorphs depending on temperature. From high to low temperature, these crystal symmetries of the five polymorphs are hexagonal, cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral crystal structure. All of these phases exhibit the ferroelectric effect apart from the cubic phase. The high temperature cubic
Nickel silver (Shadow model); these are far rarer than traditional lacquered brass saxophones. Student-level flutes and piccolos are also made of silver-plated nickel silver, although upper-level models are likely to use sterling silver. Nickel silver produes a bright and powerful sound quality; an additional benefit is that the metal is harder and has more corrosion resistance than brass. Because of its hardness, it is the most commonly used material for woodwind keys. Most clarinets, flutes, oboes and similar wind instruments have nickel silver keys, normally silver-plated. It is used to produce the tubes (called staples) onto which oboe reeds are tied. Many