Calcium titanate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CaTiO<sub>3</sub>. As a mineral, it is called perovskite, named after Russian mineralogist, Lev Perovski (1792âÂÂ1856). It is a colourless, diamagnetic solid, although the mineral is often coloured owing to impurities.
CaTiO<sub>3</sub> can be prepared by the combination of CaO and TiO<sub>2</sub> at temperatures >1300 ðC. Sol-gel processes has been used to make a more pure substance, as well as lowering the synthesis temperature. These compounds synthesized are more compressible due to the powders from the sol-gel process as well and bring it closer to its calculated density (~4.04 g/ml).
Calcium titanate is obtained as orthorhombic crystals, more specifically perovskite structure. In this motif, the Ti(IV) centers are octahedral and the Ca<sup>2+</sup> centers occupy a cage of 12 oxygen centers. Many useful materials adopt related structures, e.g. barium titanate or variations of the structure, e.g. yttrium barium copper oxide.
Calcium titanate has relatively little value except as one of the ores of titanium, together with several others. It is reduced to give titanium metal or ferrotitanium alloys.