Branwood, A., and R. H. Tredgold. "The electrical conductivity of barium titanate single crystals." Proceedings of the Physical Society 76, no. 1 (1960): 93.

Dear Myriam Lachheb ,

Once dirty, at least two methods can be used to clean the crystal surface:

1) the ultrasonic shock wave is efficient enough to clean surface deposits.

Suppose the silver is penetrated inside some defects over the surface.

2) In that case, you may use surface polishment by compressed air.

This procedure is already used, aiming to clean the surface and reduce the single crystal size. Compressed air is used to polish the surface of crystals in an aspheric container.

Be aware. The crystals will decrease in size and become spherical; anyway, there will be complete removal of the surface impurities.

Best regards,

WNM

It might be a BaTiO3 pellet form where the silver has coated on both sides of it.

You can simply be immersed in ethanol for removing silver paste followed by ultrasonic cleaning for further cleaning.

Thank you very much for you answers.

Dear @Vigneshwaran_Baskaran. By the way, is acetone damaging BaTiO3 samples ?

Dear Wagner Da Nova Mussel, thank you for replying to my question. Can the polishment have an effect on the surface polarization ? Is surface polishment disturbing the sample domain configuration in some way ?

Dear Myriam Lachheb ,

Generally, there is no effect on surface polarisation. It remains on the final spherical cleaned material.

It is concise, precisely undertaken to prevent cracks or systematics changes not related to cleaning.

As far as the domain configuration is concerned, it may disturb if the domains are, let say, magnetic superficial domains. As the final particle morphology would be spherical, corners are wrapped out. If some of them, for instance, have magnetic superfitial domain occurrences at those locations, they may be got affected by the procedure.

By describing the sample as BaTiO3, it should not be affected as far as domains are concerned.

However, if some magnetic or paramagnetic dopping is achieved (purposely), including some specific ions in the structure, it may happen.

Best regards,

WNM