Synthesis and Study of Calcination Effect of Zinc Ferrite on the Structure and Morphology of Nanoparticles

Abstract

Three precursor solutions of spinel zinc ferrite were successfully fabricated via a rapid and simple route (microwave combustion), followed by calcination at a temperature of 500 ^oC for three hours. The raw materials used in the preparation these spinel samples were ferric and zinc nitrate salts, while glycine was used as fuel. The phase purity and crystal lattice parameters were estimated via XRD.  The particle size and morphologies for synthesized powdered samples are shown by field emission-scanning electron microscopy images (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were us to study the vibration mode in synthesized spinel ferrite. The results for synthesized samples showed that there is a remarkable change in phase purity, crystal lattice parameter, particle size, and morphologies with calcination. Results of XRD refer to cubic spinel - structure with space group Fd3m. The average crystallite size increases when Glycine –to-nitrate ratio is decreased. It  is  increase  from  15.8  nm  to  26.53  nm  and from 23.03 nm to 28.16 nm for the as–synthesized samples and calcinated at 500 °C, respectively.  As well, the results of XRD show that the average lattice constants are changed from (8.407 to 8.391) ˚A and then they increase from (8.391 to 8.427) ˚A for the synthesized samples. However, the calcination results in an increase in average crystallite size and average lattice constant. FE-SEM image indicated that the particles of zinc ferrite possess shape symmetry and uniformity.