Effects of zinc contents and calcination temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of Co1-xZnxFe2O4 nanomaterials synthesized by co-precipitation

Abstract

Nanomaterials of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) doped with zinc have been synthesized by co-precipitation using KOH solution of 10-4 M as a precipitant. The effect of zinc contents and calcination temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of Co1-xZnxFe2O4 were studied. The parameters of the crystalline cubic lattice (a ~ 8.4 Å) and the crystalline size (d = 20–30 nm) increased with increasing the calcination temperature and zinc content in the samples. However, the remanent magnetization, saturation magnetization, coercive force and M at the maximum field decreased with increasing the zinc content. The nanomaterials of cobalt ferrite doped with zinc have Hc values in the range of 8.67–179.63 Oe, Mr values in the range of 1.33–16.90 emu/g, which are quite smaller than those of original CoFe2O4 material (Hc=497.89 Oe, Mr=36.29 emu/g); moreover, the nanomaterials prepared have Ms values in the range of 56.00 – 99.97 emu/g, which are similar to those of original CoFe2O4 material (Ms= 88.67 emu/g) and are quite higher than those of original ZnFe2O4 material (Ms ~ 1.2 emu/g).