The Characterization Study of Ferrites (Magnesium and Manganese) Using Sol Gel Method

A sol gel method with citric acid as an anionic surfactant was used to fabricate nano magnesium ferrites (MgFe₂O₄) and manganese ferrites (MnFeO₃) under different calcination temperatures (300, 600 and 800 degree Celsius) for 2h, respectively. The Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectra of magnesium ferrites showed the formation of tetrahedral and octahedral peaks of the metal oxides, which are getting remarkable after calcination at 300 degree Celsius because of the volatile matters removal (H₂O, CO₂, NO₂, etc.). The results of the single point Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) method showed a substantial decrease of surface area for both the magnesium and manganese ferrites as the calcinate temperatures getting increased from 300 to 800 degree Celsius. The SEM micrograph of the magnesium ferrite showed flake structures at 800 degree Celsius, and that of manganese ferrite showed granule structures at the same temperature. The results of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis of magnesium ferrite obtained a range of crystalline sizes from 11 nm to 60 nm, and those of manganese ferrite from 27 nm to 38 nm as the temperatures of both ferrites (magnesium and manganese) increased from 300 to 800 degree Celsius. The results of this study are useful for further applications, such as semiconductors, heterogeneous and photo catalysts, magnetic materials and sensors. (author)