Understanding the Effect of Synthesis and Sintering Temperature on the Functional Properties of Barium Titanate/Cobalt Ferrite Composites

To investigate the effect of synthesis procedure and sintering temperature on the functional properties of perovskite/spinel ceramics, BaTiO3/CoFe2O4 composites were prepared by thermal decomposition, coprecipitation, and microemulsion method, and sintered at 1150 degrees C and 1300 degrees C. The phase composition and morphology of as-prepared powders as well as sintered ceramics were thoroughly examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The dielectric and ferroelectric measurements were performed in detail. Generally, the samples sintered at 1300 degrees C had better performances than those sintered at 1150 degrees C. The composite synthesized by thermal decomposition and sintered at 1300 degrees C stands out among other prepared BaTiO3/CoFe2O4 ceramics, owing to high stability in the wide frequency range and low leakage currents. The obtained results indicate that such composite might be successfully applied as a functional multiferroic.