Structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of Fe microparticles as impact on shock waves

Abstract

To analyze the stability of the physical and chemical properties of Fe, samples were investigated by subjecting them to shockwaves. The magnetic response of Fe to the external magnetic field mainly depends on the degree of magnetic ordering and the temperature of the sample. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) characterization techniques were employed to analyze the crystallinity and cell volume of the structure obtained from Rietveld refinement. The sample was exposed to a shockwave ∼ 2.2 Mach with a different set of repetitions (such as 50, 100, 150, and 200). Refined data from PXRD shows no structural change in the crystallinity of the system. Williamson-Hall analysis demonstrates that the stress and strain between Fe change during the application of shocks. Thus, a noticeable change in the volume of the unit cell is observed. By subjecting the particles to repetitive shockwaves, their size was reduced. This was confirmed through imaging with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which compared the particle images before and after the application of shockwaves from different sets. The magnetic field and temperature dependencies were applied to measure the ambient and shocked conditions. The magnetization results indicate an increase in magnetic moment due to the influence of the shockwave conditions. Also, 100 shocks show a transition behavior from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. Based on its convincing reversible magnetic phase transition behavior, Fe is a potential material for applications in magnetic sensors and spintronics.