Nano-crystalline Co0.6Zn0.4Cu0.2CrxFe1.8-xO4 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8), have been synthesized using a citrate sol-gel auto combustion method and annealed at different temperature 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C and 1000 °C. The effect of chromium substitution on the structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of cobalt-zinc-copper ferrite has been studied. The structural and magnetic characteristics have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The X-ray diffractogram of all the annealed samples confirm the formation of single phase with Fd-3m space group. The crystalline sizes have been found to increase (from ~15 nm – to 60 nm) with the annealing temperature. The DC electrical resistivity of all the ferrites has been measured using a two-probe method between temperature range of 30 °C to 100 °C. The DC electrical resistivity of all the samples decrease with increase in temperature indicates semiconducting nature. However, the DC resistivity increase as the Cr3+ concentration increases because the Cr3+ ions enter the octahedral sites and reduce the electron exchange between Fe2+ and Fe3+ causing a decrease in polaron hopping of Fe2+-Fe3+ions. The value of the Seebeck coefficient (S) for all the ferrites is found to be positive indicating that all the ferrite samples behave as p-type semiconductors. The effect of copper chromium cation distribution among the tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites of Co-Zn substituted ferrite on magnetization and coercivity field have been investigated using VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer) technique. The decrease in the saturation magnetization (Ms) with increasing chromium content may be attributed to the copper and chromium enters into the octahedral site of the Co-Zn ferrite.
X-Ray Diffraction and Electrical Resistivity Study of Ag2In and High Temperature Ag3In Phases
