Magnetic and structural investigations of nanocrystalline nickel ferrite NiFe2O4

Nickel ferrite is an important high frequency magnetic material due to its ultrahigh resistivity. Nanoparticles of NiFe2O4 ferrite have been synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation of the amorphous metal hydroxides (under controlled pH values). The prepared powder have been sintered at 850 degrees C. Room temperature X-ray measurements of the prepared sample of NiFe2O4 reveal the production of single cubic phase with average particle size of about 53 nm. The lattice parameters, the oxygen position and the cation distribution have been determined by using Rietveld analysis. The particle morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The different morphologies, sizes, material properties and magnetic behavior between these spinels were analyzed and discussed. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral study on the nanocrystalline NiFe2O4 ferrite phase was recorded between 400 and 1000 cm(-1). Two fundamental absorption bands appear at 608 cm(-1) and 424 cm(-1) characteristics of metal vibrations. The results of the Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) indicate the correlation between the magnetic properties and the nanocrystallinity of the investigated nickel ferrite.