Preparation and Investigation of Structural Properties of Nano-Spinel Ferrite by Co-Precipitation Method

The co-precipitation method is used in this study to prepare and characterize the structural properties of two types of ferrites: zinc–nickel ferrite Zn–Ni Fe₂O₄ and zinc–chromium ferrite Zn–Cr Fe₂O₄. These ferrites are separated into two parts: one without sintering and the other after sintering at 1100°C for 3 hours to facilitate further crystallization. The ferrites are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm Zn–Cr-, Zn–Ni-nanoferrite samples without sintering and sintered at 1100°C. These are attributed to the face-centred cubic (f.c.c.) spinel phase, and the Debye–Scherrer equation is used to determine the average crystallite sizes of the prepared samples, which are found to be equal to 7.05 nm for Zn–Cr-ferrite nanoparticles without sintering and 64.67 nm Zn–Cr-ferrite nanoparticles sintered at 1100°C. Being equal 46.86 nm Zn–Ni-ferrite nanoparticle without sintering and 57.41 nm for the Zn–Ni-ferrite nanoparticle sintered at 1100°C, it is shown that these materials are of nanoscale. The composition of the ferrite has better crystallization. That is sintering at that temperature has led to an increase in the degree of crystallization and a decrease in the crystal defects formed in the ferrites during preparation. The field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE–SEM) is used to examine Zn–Cr-, Zn–Ni-nanoferrite samples without sintering and sintered at 1100°C. The pores separating the particles are eliminated during the sintering process that produces strong bonds in the agglomeration form.