Comparative analysis of cadmium doped magnesium ferrite Mg(1−x) Cdx Fe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) nanoparticles

Abstract

Oxalyl dihydrazide–metal nitrate combustion route was employed to synthesize Mg(1−x) Cdx Fe2O4 (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) nanoparticles (NPs). Ferrite NPs were analyzed by various physico-chemical techniques viz. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was used to study effect of doping on the magnetic parameters of ferrite. Combustion method proved a low temperature route for preparation of mono disperse ferrite nanoparticles with average particle diameter of 22–34nm. In the present study saturation magnetization and remnant magnetization increased with cadmium content up to x=0.4, Mg0.6Cd0.4Fe2O4 showed promising magnetic and micro structural properties exploring its potentiality as soft magnetic material. The temperature of ferrite formation (300°C) was much lower than the reported value (700°C) for co-precipitation method. This can be attributed to the fact that intimate mixing of cations and exothermic decomposition of combustion mixture facilitates solid state reaction and stabilization of metastable phases thus lowering the external temperature required for ferrite formation. Another advantage of combustion approach is that it does not involve sintering and milling at elevated temperature (as required in conventional ceramic method) which introduces lattice defects, strains and causes coarsening of ferrite. In the present case high purity products with desired stoichiometry and promising magnetic properties were obtained.