Multiscale numerical investigation on effective physical properties of multiferroic BaTiO 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 composites

Abstract

In this paper, the effective physical properties were numerically investigated for polycrystalline multiferroic composite materials consisting of ferroelectric BaTiO₃ and ferromagnetic CoFe₂O₄ phases. An asymptotic homogenization theory was employed for scale-bridging between macrostructures and microstructures. The microstructural crystal orientations of both phases were assumed to be perfectly poled and the volume fraction of ferroelectric phase was changed from 0% to 100%. And then the homogenized physical properties of macrostructure, such as elastic stiffness, electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, piezoelectric and piezomagnetic stress constants, magnetoelectric constants, were estimated through the multiscale finite element analysis. Especially the local piezoelectric or piezomagnetic constants of each phase were virtually varied and their influence on the global magnetoelectric constant was discussed to understand ideal material combination.