Magnetoelectric composites of nickel ferrite and lead zirconnate titanate prepared by spark plasma sintering

Magnetoelectric (ME) bulk composites of ferrite and lead zirconnate titanate (PZT) were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of mechanically mixed ferrites, BaFe2O4 or NiFe2O4 and a soft lead zirconnate titanate, PZT-5A, powders. The feasibility of retarding possible reactions occurring between the ferrite and lead zirconnate titanate was approved by applying such a dynamic process as SPS. It was further revealed that nickel ferrite and PZT-5A is a more favorable combination that underwent no obvious reactions up to 1050 °C. Efforts were made to optimize the SPS processing parameters in order to produce immiscible composites with high electrical resistivity, low dielectric loss and better magnetoelectric response.