XRD analysis of my ceramic sample showed that my crystallite size decreased even though the temperature was increased from 900˚C during first sintering (2 hours) to 1200˚C during subsequent sintering (6 hours). I thought crystallite size is supposed to increase as temperature and sintering time are increased. Why could this have happened?
Crystalline size always increases with temperature rise. This is a fundamental consequence of the laws of thermodynamics. So either you made a mistake in your measurement or there is another effect that falsifies your results. For example, partial melting of your composition can increase the proportion of glass phase. The formation of the glass phase at a higher sintering temperature reduces the proportion of crystals and possibly the size of the remaining crystals.
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