Investigation of nano-sized strontium ferrite particles at different annealing temperatures

Strontium ferrite enjoys a high degree of chemical stability and is completely nontoxic, which makes it ideal for a wide range of applications. Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal strontium ferrite particles were synthesized via the sol-gel technique employing ethylene glycol as the gel precursor. The phase morphology, particle diameter, and magnetic properties of the prepared samples were studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The effect of temperature on the crystal structure, morphology, and magnetic studies were carried out. Also, the thermal decomposition of as-synthesized powdered samples has been studied by thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) methods. The optical properties were analyzed using fluorescence spectra. The XRD results showed that the samples synthesized at 600, 800, and 1000 °C were of single phase and smaller crystallite size. The intensity of the emission spectra of strontium ferrite was also examined. The yield percentage along with structure determination and VSM studies of the prepared samples are discussed in detail. (authors)