Investigation of the magnetic properties and microstructure of lead and copper ferrite

The objectives of this work were to obtain a lead and copper ferrite with spinel structure, characterizing the microstructure and the determination of their magnetic properties. The copper and lead ferrite is a material with low magnetic coercivity, high electrical resistivity and high magnetic permeability.Samples with stoichiometry Pb_xCu_1-xFe₂O₄ with (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) were prepared by powder metallurgy process and sintered at 800 deg C for 6h in air. The structural, microstructural and magnetic characterizations were performed using the techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and magnetic thermal gravimetric analysis. The results showed that samples are formed exclusively by the tetragonal spinel structure. Hysteresis loops show the characteristics of a soft magnetic material and the saturation magnetization increased with the lead concentration. The value of the Curie temperature decreased with increasing lead concentration. (author)