Study of the Microstructure and Ferroelectric and Magnetic Properties of Three-Component Multiferroic Composites

In this study, two ternary multiferroic composites (BT-PZT-F and BT-BF-F) with a ferroelectric phase (90%) and a magnetic phase (10%) were developed. In the case of the BT-PZT-F multiferroic composite, the ferroelectric components were BaTiO3 (BT) and PZT-type material (PZT) (in a 50:50 ratio), whereas the magnetic component was Ni0.64Zn0.36Fe2O4 ferrite (F). On the other hand, BaTiO3 (BT) and BiFeO3 (BF) (in a 50:50 ratio) were the ferroelectric components in the BT-BF-F multiferroic composite, whereas the magnetic component was ferrite F. The free sintering method has been applied to obtain multiferroic composites. The DC electrical conductivity, microstructure, crystal structure, and magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of the multiferroic composites were investigated. Research has shown that incorporating two ferroelectric materials into the composite improves performance parameters, thereby preserving the high magnetic and dielectric properties of the composite materials. The BT-BF-F exhibits better magnetic properties but weaker ferroelectric parameters and higher dielectric loss. In contrast, the BT-PZT-F shows high ferroelectric properties with appropriate saturation of the P-E hysteresis loop, but weaker magnetic properties. Temperature-dependent dielectric studies of the composite materials revealed the effects of phase transitions between the composite components and the influence of magnetic ferrite on the dielectric properties. Multiferroic ceramic composites based on magnetic and double-ferroelectric materials exhibit interesting functional properties suitable for applications in modern microelectronics.