Microwave-induced combustion synthesis of Li0.5Fe2.5−xCrxO4 powder and their characterization

Li0.5Fe2.5−xCrxO4 (0 ≦ x ≦ 1.0) powders with small and uniformly sized particles were successfully synthesized by microwave-induced combustion, using lithium nitrate, iron nitrate, chromium nitrate, and carbohydrazide as the starting materials. The process takes only a few minutes to obtain as-received Cr-substituted lithium ferrite powders. The resultant powders annealed at 650 °C for 2 h and were investigated by thermogravimeter/differential thermal analyzer (TG/DTA), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and thermomagnetic analysis (TMA). The results revealed that the lattice constant decreases linearly with increasing of Cr content in Li0.5Fe2.5−xCrxO4 specimens. Moreover, the magnetic properties of Cr-substituted lithium ferrite were also strongly affected by Cr content. The saturation magnetization, remanent magnetization, and coercive force decrease monotonously with increasing of Cr content.