Study on the structure and magnetic properties of Ce, Fe Co-substituted YMnO3ceramics

Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3powders were synthesized by low-temperature solid state method and ceramics were obtained after high-temperature sintering. The microstructure and magnetic properties of Ce, Fe co-substituted YMnO3ceramics were investigated. The phase constitution of Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3powders and ceramics were characterized by XRD, and the particle morphologies of samples were observed by FESEM and TEM. The magnetic property of Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3ceramics was investigated and the valence distributions of magnetic ions were analyzed by XPS. The results show that Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3nano-crystal powders in single phase were synthesized after being calcined at 800 and the dense ceramics were obtained after being sintered at 1450. The Neel temperature of Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3ceramics was approximately 29 K and the antiferromagnetic order existed at low temperature. Compared with YMn0.8Fe0.2O3, the content of Fe2+in Y0.85Ce0.15Mn0.8Fe0.2O3ceramics decreased and the mixed valence structure of Mn ions changed from Mn2+/Mn3+to Mn3+/Mn4+. In addition, the magnetic transition temperature of the ceramics was reduced by Ce substitution. © 2015, Chinese Ceramic Society. All right reserved.