Swift heavy ion irradiated spinel ferrite: A cheap radiation resistant material

Effect of (80 MeV) 16O 6+ ion irradiation on the structural properties and cation distribution of the as-burnt samples (i.e. the samples are without any thermal/sintering treatment) with the following compositions: MnFe2O4, Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 and ZnFe2O4 prepared by sol–gel auto-combustion technique have been studied through in-situ and ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Well characterized single phase MnFe2O4 and Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 samples were irradiated at fluence 1 × 1011, 1 × 1012, 1 × 1013 and 1 × 1014 ions/cm2 to see the effect of the electronic energy loss induced changes in the structural properties and in cation distribution monitored through ex-situ XRD. ZnFe2O4 samples were irradiated with ion fluence values ranging between 1 × 1011 − 2 × 1014 ions/cm2 to observe the effect of in-situ XRD on structural properties and cation distribution. Results very clearly depict the redistribution of cations in the samples, which show noticeable changes in: ionic radii of A-site (rA) and B-site (rB), experimental and theoretical lattice parameter (aexp.,ath.), unit cell volume (V), Scherrer’s Grain diameter (D), oxygen positional parameter (u), tetrahedral and octahedral bond length (RA, RB), shared tetrahedral and octahedral edge (dAE,dBE) and bond angles (θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5). Results are interpreted in terms of irradiation induced changes in the above mentioned parameters.