Structure, Infrared Radiation Properties and Mössbauer Spectroscopic Investigations of Co0.6Zn0.4NixFe2-xO4 Ceramics

Ferrite compound Co0.6Zn0.4NixFe2-xO4 was synthesized by solid state reaction. The structure and performance of Co0.6Zn0.4NixFe2-xO4 compounds were studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared radiant tester. Mössbauer spectroscopy and XPS analysis show the valence states and distribution of cations in Co0.6Zn0.4NixFe2-xO4. Zn2+ has invariably shown preference for the tetrahedral sites, and Ni2+ has the preference for the octahedral sites. The occupancy of Fe3+ linearly increases on the tetrahedral sites, and sharply decreases on the octahedral sites with increasing x, owing to its gradual replacement by Ni2+ on the octahedral sites. It indicates that due to the occupation of octahedral sites by the majority of Ni2+, Fe3+ decreasingly migrated from the octahedral sites to the tetrahedral sites and substituted Co3+ sites, which made the number of Co3+ in the tetrahedral sites decreasing. According to the measurement results of XRD and the infrared radiant tester analysis, the lattice parameter and infrared radiance have shown a nonlinear variation, exhibiting the infrared average radiance of 0.92 in the 8-14 μm waveband, and the results demonstrate that these Co-Zn-Ni spinel ferrites have potential for application in a wide range of infrared heating and drying materials.