Magnetic Property Enhancement of Spinel Mn-Zn Ferrite through Atomic Structure Control

Temperature treatment of magnetic Mn-Zn ferrites with the composition Mn0.6Zn0.2Fe2.2O4 up to 1100 °C results in a tremendous enhancement of the saturation magnetization by more than 60%. Employing a robust combined Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray and neutron diffraction (PXRD and NPD) data, it is revealed how a reordering of the cations takes place during the annealing step, the extent of which depends on the annealing temperature. While Zn(II) exclusively occupies tetrahedral sites throughout the whole temperature range, as the annealing temperature increases up to 700 °C, the Mn(II) cation distribution shifts from 80(7)% of the total Mn content occupying the octahedral sites (partly inverse spinel) to Mn only being present on the tetrahedral sites (normal spinel). Above 700 °C, pronounced crystallite growth is observed, followed by an increase of the saturation magnetization. Complementary techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm an even cation distribution and the particle growth with annealing temperature. The structural changes caused by annealing of spinel ferrites directly alter the magnetic properties of the materials, thus serving as an easy handle for enhancing their magnetic properties.