Investigation of the process of ferrite formation in the Li2CO3–ZnO–Fe2O3 system under high-energy actions

Abstract

Results of synthesis of lithium-zinc ferrites under high-energy actions including mechanical activation of the mixture of initial reagents in a planetary mill and heating of reaction mixtures upon exposure to accelerated high-energy electron beams are presented. The initial structure of the reaction mixtures corresponds to the stoichiometric spinel formula: Li0.5(1–x)ZnxFe2.5–0.5xО4, where х = 0.2. To elucidate the effect of radiation on kinetic transformations of the phase composition, analogous investigations are performed with thermal annealing in a furnace. It is established that mechanical activation and radiation-thermal heating of the Li2CO3–ZnO–Fe2O3 mixture of initial reagents increases significantly the reactivity of solid phase systems thereby decreasing strongly the temperature of synthesis and improving the homogeneity of the end product. To synthesize Li0.4Fe2.4Zn0.2O4 lithium-zinc ferrospinels with homogeneous composition, it is suffice to provide a synthesis temperature of 600°С with holding time of 60 min under complex high-energy action including mechanical activation of the initial mixture of reagents and heating upon exposure to a high-energy beam of electrons.