Thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties of Fe2O3–PbO–SiO2 glass prepared by traditional melt-quenching and twin roller fast-cooling methods

Abstract

In this study, Fe–Pb–Si oxide glasses containing between 12.5 and 17.5 mol% Fe2O3 were prepared using two different methods comprising traditional melt-quenching and twin roller fast-cooling techniques. The topography and structure of the materials obtained were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. All of the materials were found to be amorphous. The topography of most of the glasses comprised random or evenly distributed nanostructures, where the size and amount were dependent on the iron content and preparation technique. The thermal properties of the glasses were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, which showed that the glass transition temperatures varied between 529 °C and 552 °C. The electric conductivity and magnetic susceptibility of the glasses were analyzed by impedance spectroscopy and with an alternating current magnetic properties measurement system, respectively. The measurements of the electrical properties indicated a relatively low activation energy for direct current conductivity (∼0.5–0.68 eV), which is typical of the polaron hopping mechanism. All of the materials exhibited magnetic hysteresis loops and they were ferromagnetic.