Preparation And Magnetoelectric Characteristics Of PZT5/NiFe₂O₄Multiferroic Composites

(1-x)PZT5/xNiFe2O4(x=0,0.2,0.3,0.4,0.5and1, PZT/NFO) ceramic particle composites were fabricated of commercial PZT5powder and self-fabricated NiFe2O4by solid-state sintering at1150C for2h. The formation of cubic spinel structure of ferrite phase and cubic perovskite structure of ferroelectric phase in the composites were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies besides slight peaks of pyrochlore phase. The formation of pyrochlore phase could be restrained by increasing magnetic content and the ferroelectric behaviors of the composite were properly promoted at x=0.2. On the other hand, remanant polarization (Pr) of PZT/NFO composites monotonously increased according to the adding content of PZT5except for x=0.2. Vice verse, ferromagnetic properties would be dominant with increasing NiFe2O4phase. The direct magnetic field (Hdc) and ac electric field (Eac) were applied to the composites simultaneously for magnetocapacitance behaviors measurement. As a result, the self-modulation of dielectricand impedance were found for PZT/NFO composites. More interestingly, the magnetocapacitance of the composite probably was not related to the magnetoresistance as reported a lot but to the piezomagnetoeffects as expected. The PZT/NFO ceramic particle composites should be prospectively applied in multistate memories and else fields.