Effect of zinc substitution on structural and magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite

Zinc-substituted cobalt ferrites, Co1-xZnxFe2O4 (x = 0.0 – 0.5), were prepared by ceramic processing. The crystal structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the products were determined by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) respectively. The results revealed that the spinel structure was also modified by the substitute ions. In Co1-xZnxFe2O4 samples, Zn2+ commonly substitute for Co2+, resulting in an increase in the lattice parameter from 8.381 – 8.412 Å. Magnetization measurements indicated that Co1-xZnxFe2O4 samples with x = 0.0 – 0.5 showed ferrimagnetic behavior at room temperature. The decrease in the maximum magnetization of the Co1-xZnxFe2O4 samples from 134 to 100 emu/g and the decrease in the coercivity of the Co1-xZnxFe2O4 samples from 140 to 4 Oe by increasing the zinc content from 0.0 to 0.5 can be attributed to the magnetic characteristic and the anisotropic nature of cobalt.