The five-layer Aurivillius type structures with the general chemical formula Bi5Fe2-xMnxTi3O18, where x = 0, 0.6, 1.2 have been synthesized and tested. The SEM studies showed a significant increase in grain size in the manganese-modified Aurivillius type ceramic material (for x = 1.2). The increase in the amount of manganese ions (Mn3+) affects the decrease in the temperature at which the relaxation processes take place. Namely from 525 K (1 kHz) and 725 K (1 MHz) for BFT sample (x = 0) to 355 K (1 kHz) and 565 K (1 MHz) for BFM12T sample (x = 1.2). Using the Arrhenius’s law and the Vogel-Fulcher’s relationship the activation energy (Ea) and the relaxation time have been calculated. The value of Ea increases with the increase of the Mn amount from 0.737 eV (for x = 0) to 0.915 eV (for x = 1.2).
Dielectric properties of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) mixture ZhK-1282 were investigated in the frequency range of 102–106 Hz and a temperature range of −20 to 80°С. On the basis of the Debye’s relaxation polarization model dielectric spectra of temperature dependence of the orientational relaxation time τ and the dielectric strength δe were numerically approximated at the parallel orientation of a molecular director relative to alternating electric field. Influence of ester components in the mixture plays crucial role in relaxation processes at low temperature and external field frequency. The activation energy of the relaxation process of a rotation of molecules around their short axis was measured in a temperature interval of −20 to +15°С in which the dispersion of a longitudinal component of the dielectric constant takes place. The energy of potential barrier for polar molecules rotation in the mesophase was calculated. The value of the transition entropy from the nematic to isotropic phase was obtained from this calculation. The values of the coefficient of molecular friction and rotational diffusion were obtained by different methods. The experimental data obtained are in a satisfactory agreement with the existing theoretical models.