PROPERTIES OF PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 - NiZnFe2O4, CoFe2O4 MULTIFERROIC COMPOSITES OBTAINED BY AUTO-COMBUSTION SYNTHESIS

Abstract

Nickel zinc ferrite (NZF), cobalt ferrite (CF) and barium titanate (BT) nanosized powders were synthesised by auto-combustion method. Multiferroic composites with the formula xPbZr0.52Ti0.48O3+(1-x)CoFe2O4 and xPbZr0.52Ti0.48O3+(1-x)Ni0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4 (x=0.8 and 0.9) were prepared from nickel zinc ferrite, cobalt ferrite and barium titanate powders by mixing in planetary ball mill for 24 h. Pellets were sintered at different temperatures in order to obtain dense, two phased composites. XRD data indicated the formation of well crystallized structure of PZT and NZF/CF phase in the composite ceramics. SEM micrographs revealed a uniform grain distribution of both phases without any secondary phases. Magnetic measurements of all sintered composites were carried out and presented in Figure 1. All the composite samples exhibit typical ferromagnetic hysteresis loop, indicating the presence of the order magnetic structure. Saturation magnetization moment decreases with increasing PZT content, because of non-magnetic PZT phase