Investigations on Flexible MultiferroicComposites

摘要

Multiferroic ceramics are one of the most attractive materials for the next generationcomputer memories, smart sensors, and high frequency microelectronic devices. As compared tosingle phase multiferroic, piezoelectric-magnetostrictive composite materials exhibit largermagnetoelectric coefficients and therefore better suited for practical applications. In the presentpaper, we have provided a brief introduction on the multiferroic electro-ceramics followed bythe outline of recent research trends on these materials. The potentials of flexible polymer-magnetostrictive composite materials, synthesized by economic chemical based processingroutes, has been outlined. To make flexible multiferroic composites, cobalt iron oxide (CoFe2O4)(CFO) spinel powders were synthesized by a polymer assisted decomposition route. The cationmixing in as prepared as well as calcined CFO powders were investigated by XRD Rietveldrefinement. Guided by the structural refinement results the processing conditions of the powdersynthesis were optimized to yield spinal CFO powder with improved magnetic properties. Thesepowders were dispersed into ferroelectric polyvinyledene (PVDF) matrix and the polymer-spinalcomposite was cast using different weight fractions of the spinel component. The compositeswere characterized in terms of its structure and microstructure. Preliminary dielectric andmagnetic properties of these CFO-polymer composites is reported.