The ionic conductivity, phase components, and microstructures
of
LATP depend on its synthesis process. However, their relative importance
and their interactions with synthesis process parameters (such as
source materials, calcination temperature, and sintering temperature)
remain unclear. In this work, different source materials were used
to prepare LATP via the solid-state reaction method under different
calcination and sintering temperatures, and an analysis via orthogonal
experiments and machine learning was used to systematically study
the effects of the process parameters. Sintering temperatures had
the greatest effect on the total ionic conductivity of LATP pellets,
followed by the sources and calcination temperatures. Sources, as
the foundational factors, directly determine the composition of a
major secondary phase of LATP pellets, which influences the whole
process. The calcination temperature had limited impact on the ion
conductivity of LATP pellets if pellets were sintered under the optimal
temperature. The sintering temperature is the most important factor
that influences the ion conductivity by eliminating most secondary
phases and altering the microstructure of LATP, including the intergranular
contact, grain size, relative densities, etc. This work offers a novel
perspective to comprehend the synthesis of solid-state electrolytes
beyond LATP.