Temperature dependent structural and magnetic properties of Cerium substituted Co-Cr ferrite prepared by auto-combustion method

The effects of heat treatment on a nano-crystalline spinet ferrite with chemical formula CoCr0.04CexFe1.96-xO4 (x=0.06) were investigated in the present work. The sample was prepared by the auto-combustion method and then heat treated at 700-1200 degrees C for 8 h. The sample heat treated at these temperatures was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analyses and differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometery. The XRD patterns and IR spectra confirmed that the synthesized materials were of single phase at and above 900 degrees C. The average particle size was found to be in the range of 30.8-63.8 nm estimated by the Scherer formula. IR studies confirm two main absorption bands in the frequency range of 400-800 cm(-1) arising due to the tetrahedral (A-site) and octahedral (B-site) stretching vibrations. The average grain size increased with the increase of temperature while distribution of particles became homogeneous as observed by scanning electron microscope. The saturation magnetization was increased gradually from 7.4 to 59.6 emu/g with the increase of temperature. The coercivity lies in the range of 248-811 Oe as a function of temperature. The obtained results suggest that the investigated materials may be potential candidates for high density recording media applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,