Magnetic and electric properties of the lead free ceramic composite based on the BFN and ferrite powders

• BFN ceramics and composites based on BFN and ferrite powder have been obtained.
• In BFN–ferrite composite, larger BFN powder grains surround smaller ferrite grains.
• Z(T) analysis confirms the presence of temp. dep. electrical relaxation phenomena.
• The multiferroic ceramic composite BFN–ferrite possesses good magnetic parameters.
• The results show correlations between magnetic and electrical subsystems.

Ferroelectromagnetic BaFe0.5Nb0.5O3 (BFN) ceramics and ferroelectromagnetic composites based on BFN powder and ferrite powder have been obtained in the presented work. The percentage of components in a two-phase composite was: biferroic powder BFN in the amount of 90%, and nickel–zinc ferrite Ni1 − xZnxFe2O4 for x = 0.36 in the amount of 10%. The synthesis of the components of the BFN–ferrite composite was performed using the calcination method. Final densification of the synthesized powder was done using free sintering.For the obtained two-phase ceramic BFN–ferrite composite, the XRD, microstructure, EDS, dielectric, impedances, magnetic, Mössbauer and electrical hysteresis loop investigations were performed. The obtained results show correlations between the magnetic subsystem and the electrical subsystem of the ferroelectromagnetic composite. Such properties of the obtained composite give a possibility to use them in memory applications of a new type.