Enhancing magnetoelectric properties of 0-3 particulate composite ceramics by introducing nano-sized sintering aids via self-combustion method

The 0.55Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.05PbHfO3-0.4PbTiO3/Ni0.875Zn0.125Fe2O4 (PNNHT/NZF) 0-3 particulate composite ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method via introducing the nano-sized WO3 and CuO sintering aids by the self-combustion method. Due to the introducing of nano-sized sintering aids, densified PNNHT/NZF composite ceramics are synthesized sintered at low sintering temperature. Furthermore, the nano-sized sintering aids act effectively as blocking layers, leading to compact composite ceramics with homogenously dispersed and isolated microstructure morphology, inhibiting inter-phase diffusion, avoiding interfacial chemical reaction, and achieving strong inter-phase coupling. Therefore, the synthesized PNNHT/NZF composite ceramics exhibit enhanced magnetoelectric properties.