Rapid solid state synthesis by spark plasma sintering and magnetic properties of LaMnO3 perovskite manganite

LaMnO3 oxide was successfully synthesized from La(OH)3 and Mn2O3 precursors (molar ratio La/Mn = 0.6) using the spark plasma sintering technique (SPS). The in-situ reaction proceeds in a few minutes at 900 °C under 50 MPa with the very high heating rate of 100 °C/min. LaMnO3 powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and magnetic measurements. The Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction shows that LaMnO3 sample crystallizes in a perovskite structure O′-type orthorhombic symmetry with Pbnm space group. Our sample undergoes an A-type antiferromagnetic order with Néel temperature equal to 138 K. The magnetic susceptibility shows the Curie–Weiss behavior between 170 and 320 K with the effective magnetic moment μeff = 4.78μB/f.u and the Curie constant θP = − 20 K (antiferromagentic sign).

► This work highlights a novel solid state synthesis for magnetic materials by SPS.
► The reaction proceeds in few minutes.
► LaMnO3 is obtained at lower temperature in comparison with conventional synthesis.