Sol gel derived MnTi doped Co2 W-type hexagonal ferrites: Structural,physical, spectral and magnetic evaluations

W-type BaSr Co₂ hexaferrites doped with Mn and Ti of the following composition Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co₂Mn_xTi_xFe_16-2xO₂₇ (x = 0.00, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 2.50) were synthesized by sol-gel auto ignition method. The structure, phase, spectral bands, microstructure, and magnetic behaviors of the MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type ferrites were determined using XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and VSM respectively. Structural and physical parameters such as lattice parameters ‘a’ and ‘c’, crystallite size, cell volume, micro strain, porosity, bulk and X-ray density of the MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type hexaferrites were evaluated. The detailed and refined structural properties were determined using the Rietveld refinement of the MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type hexagonal ferrites. MAUD software was used for the refinement of the MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type hexagonal ferrites patterns. Rb, Rwp and Rexp values were found in the range of 10–19 for MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type hexagonal ferrites. The force constants at respective sites were also investigated through FTIR studies. FESEM images showed the hexagonal shape of the MnTi doped hexaferrites. Magnetic properties were estimated from the hysteresis loops recorded by VSM. The magnetic properties were decreased with the MnTi doping. However, anisotropic field was also found to be decreased with MnTi doping. This might be due to the ionic radii and nonmagnetic substitution of Ti in BaSr Co₂ W-type hexagonal ferrites. The low coercivity values of these ferrites suggest the use of MnTi doped BaSr Co₂ W-type ferrites for microwave absorption, memory devices and magnetic radar absorbing materials (MRAMs) in high frequency regime.     

Investigation of structural,physical, spectral,photoluminescence, Raman,and dielectric properties of Ba2Co2GdxFe28-xO46 hexaferrites

Nano-crystalline Gd-substituted X-type hexaferrites with the composition Ba₂Co₂Gd_xFe_28-xO₄₆ (x = 0.00, 0.08, 0.16, 0.24, and 0.32) were synthesized using sol-gel auto-combustion procedure. The establishment of single and pure phases of X-type hexagonal ferrites is verified by X-ray diffraction. The crystallite size ranging from 25 to 31 nm showed the increasing trend with the enhancement of Gd-substitution. The unit cell volume was found in 2502.83–2516.07 Å³. The alteration in lattice parameters and cell volume is due to the difference in ionic radii of the host (Fe) and substituent (Gd) element. FTIR spectra ranging 590-3000 cm⁻¹ revealed the emergence of specific absorption bands verifying the formation of hexagonal ferrites. The behavior of dielectric properties is frequency dependent. The dielectric constant at low frequency for all substitution was high, but over the large frequency values, the dielectric constant was decreased. The dielectric loss factor increases over low frequencies and decreases as frequency rises with a higher concentration level. Higher dielectric parameter values suggest that synthetic material might be good for high-frequency applications and super-capacitors fabrication. The changes in Raman spectra as a function of substitution content are ascribed to the development of strain in the unit cell (x). The XRD investigation well corroborates this conclusion. FESEM images depicted the hexagon shaped particles of the X type hexagonal ferrites. In the PL spectra of synthesized compounds, all emissions invisible (red) zone with PL intensity at 661 nm were observed.     

The influence of Zr and Ni co-substitution on structural,dielectric and magnetic traits of lithium spinel ferrites

The impact of Ni²⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ on the physical properties of LiFe₂O₄ ferrites is investigated and synthesized via the microemulsion technique. X-ray diffraction pattern of pure and substituted lithium ferrites exhibited spinel structure. The constant lattice increases with increasing dopants concentration up to x = 0.2 and decreases for higher x. The crystallite size value varies from 8.15 to 12.37 nm. The incorporation of heavier ions with lighter ions increased the X-ray density of lithium ferrites. The value of dielectric parameters such as dielectric constant and dielectric loss decreases with the substation of Ni²⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ ions. The Maxwell Wagner model ascribes the decrease in dielectric parameters. Substituted lithium ferrites observe a high Q value. The magnetic studies revealed that saturation magnetization and coercivity were significantly affected by Ni²⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ ions. The inclusion of Ni²⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ ions improves the dielectric and magnetic properties making it suitable for high-frequency applications.     

Y3+ composition and particle size influenced magnetic and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline Ni0.5Cu0.5YxFe2-xO4 ferrites

The rare earth Yttrium (Y³⁺) doped Ni–Cu nanoferrites (NCY ferrites) with chemical formulation, Ni_0.5Cu_0.5Y_xFe_2-xO₄ (x = 0–0.125) were prepared successfully by the sol gel route. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) of NCY ferrites revealed that a single phase of cubic spinel is created within the synthesized ferrites. The crystallite sizes obtained by XRD pattern are in the range of 51–84 nm, in good agreement with those obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FSEM). The calculated lattice parameter of NCY ferrite unit cells initially decreases up to x = 0.1 and increase afterwards for x = 0.125. From FESEM and TEM micrographs, surface morphology and microstructure of NCY nanoferrites were studied. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) patterns have confirmed the stoichiometric presence of Ni, Cu, Y, O and Fe, those were used to prepare the samples. The variations in the magnetic properties with Y³⁺ compositions were investigated by obtaining the hysteresis loops of NCY ferrites. The magnetic hopping lengths L_A and L_B were calculated from XRD. The saturation magnetization, Bohr magneton number, coercivity and retentivity of the ferrites were influenced by the structural parameters like crystallite size and lattice strain. The frequency variation of dielectric constant and loss tangent exhibit space charge polarization as a phenomenon governing the dielectric behavior of the ferrites.     

Structural,optical, electrical,dielectric, molecular vibrational and magnetic properties of La3+ doped Mg–Cd–Cu ferrites prepared by Co-precipitation technique

Ferrites are among the most frequently investigated materials mainly due to interesting and practically different properties. Therefore, easily and cost-effective lanthanum doped Mg_0.5Cd_0.25Cu_0.25Fe_2-xLa_xO₄ (x = 0.0, 0.0125, 0.025, 0.0375 and 0.05) ferrites were synthesized by a co-precipitation route, a comprehensive characterisation of their structural, optical, electric, dielectric, molecular vibrational, and magnetic properties were carried out. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a cubic spinel structure. Variations in frequency bands were also observed with amplification in optical band gap energy (2.95 – 3.38 eV) due to La³⁺ ions insertion. The electric resistivity had opposite trends at low and high temperatures with increasing La³⁺ content. The Curie temperature, activation energy, and drift mobility were also determined to have values consistent with the semiconducting behavior of the soft ferrites. The saturation magnetization (M_S) has a maximum value 49.385 emu/g with remanent magnetization (M_r) was 34.928 emu/g and coercivity 661.4 Oe for La³⁺ concentration x = 0.05. The minimum dielectric loss was observed for La³⁺ concentration x = 0.025. Moreover, the resistivity (ρ) has a maximum value of 7.95 × 10⁴ Ω cm for La³⁺ concentration x = 0.025. The calculated frequency range of La³⁺ doped Mg–Cd–Cu ferrites was detected in the microwave range (3.36 – 10.80 GHz), suggesting the potential application of the materials in longitudinal recording media and microwave absorbance.     

Influence of rare-earth La3+ ion doping on microstructural,magnetic and dielectric properties of Mg0.5Ni0.5Fe2-xLaxO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ferrite nanoparticles

A series of La³⁺ ion doped magnesium nickel ferrites, Mg_0.5Ni_0.5Fe_2-xLa_xO₄ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) having a cubic spinel structure were prepared by the co-precipitation method. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffractometer (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), electron spin resonance (ESR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used to investigate structural and magnetic properties. The average crystallite size decreases and lattice parameter increases with La³⁺ ion doping and lie in the range of 12–7 nm and 8.347–8.361 Å respectively. Analysis of ESR spectra reveals that, g-value with La³⁺ ion addition decreases from 2.57 to 2.12. The saturation magnetization and the coercivity decrease with increasing rare-earth content. Magnetic-hysteresis (M − H) loop shifts from a ferromagnetic to a superparamagnetic nature with La³⁺ ion addition. The dielectric study was carried out in the frequency range of 1 KHz to 4000 KHz and temperature ranging 30 °C–350 °C using the impedance analyzer. The dielectric constant decreases with increasing frequency and the La³⁺ ion concentration. The dielectric loss of the sample increases with increasing temperature. The magnetic properties of the synthesized nanoparticles make them a potential material for stable ferrofluid application and the low tangent loss value makes these material a potential candidate for frequency-based applications.     

Role of Nd-Ni on structural,spectral and dielectric properties of strontium-barium based nano-sized X-type ferrites

The influence of neodymium and nickel substitution on structural and dielectric parameters was investigated in strontium-barium X-type hexagonal ferrites having composition SrBaCu_2?xNi_xNd_yFe_28?yO₄₆ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1 and y = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1). Sol-gel method was employed for synthesizing these hexagonal ferrites. The XRD plots of all studied materials which were annealed at 1250 °C show single phase characteristics. Lattice parameter ‘c’ increased as a consequence of larger radius of rare earth ion (Nd³⁺) as compared to (Fe³⁺), while lattice parameter ‘a’ showed very small variation. The cell volume was obtained in the range 2508.32–2523.75 (ų). The inclusion of Nd-Ni also affected X-ray density, bulk density and porosity. The FTIR spectroscopy indicated the particular absorption peaks of hexagonal ferrites and it was performed in the range of 500–700 cm^?1. On account of Nd-Ni doping, the dielectric constant, dielectric loss and AC-conductivity showed decreasing trend. The occupancy of Nd³⁺ ions at octahedral site impedes the valence alternation of Fe³⁺; therefore there was decrease in dielectric permittivity. Ac conductivity has been decreased from 9.14 to 6.49 (Ω cm)^?1 at frequency of 2.7 GHz. The Cole-Cole plots of synthesized materials noticeably revealed grain boundary contribution. The appearance of single semi-circle in impedance Cole-Cole graphs confirms the exceptional role of grain boundaries in the conduction process. The considerably lower dielectric parameters of investigated nano X-type ferrites propose their feasibility for high-frequency applications (phase shifters, dielectric resonators, stealth technology etc).     

Effect of Mg doping on magnetic,and dielectric properties of NiCr2O4 nanoparticles

The structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of spinel Magnesium (Mg) doped Nickel chromite (NiCr₂O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied in detail. The X-ray powder diffraction exhibited normal spinel phase formation of Mg_xNi_1-xCr₂O₄ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 1) NPs with a maximum average crystallite size of about 44 nm for x = 0.2 composition. The FTIR spectra of these NPs revealed the characteristic Ni–O and Mg–O and Cr–O bands around 639 cm^?1 and 497 cm^?1, respectively which confirmed the spinel structure. Temperature-dependent zero field cooled and field cooled graphs of NiCr₂O₄ NPs showed phase changes from ferrimagnetic to paramagnetic state at 86 K, while MgCr₂O₄ NPs showed antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at Neel temperature (T_N) at 15 K due to corner-sharing of Cr³⁺ ions at a tetrahedral lattice site resulting in a highly magnetic frustrated structure. The field dependent magnetization (M ? H) loops of Mg_xNi_1-xCr₂O₄ NPs confirmed the competing AFM interactions and ferrimagnetic interactions resulting in a sharp decreased saturation magnetization with Mg doping. Dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and ac conductivity of these NPs showed size-dependent variation and depicted maximum value at x = 0.2 Mg concentration. In summary, the magnetic and dielectric properties of Mg doped NiCr₂O₄ NPs were modified by variations in the average crystallite size and magnetic exchange interactions, which may be suitable for different technological applications.     

Erbium substituted nickel–cobalt spinel ferrite nanoparticles: Tailoring the structural,magnetic and electrical parameters

In this article, we have reported an effective, rapid as well as economical Er³⁺ substituted Ni_0.4Co_0.6Fe₂O₄ ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via surfactant-assisted co-precipitation route. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dielectric properties, current-voltage (I–V) measurements, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). XRD and FTIR confirmed the face-centered (FCC) spinel structure of all compositions of the synthesized spinel ferrite nanoparticles. The deviations in the lattice constant granted with the variation in size of the guest (Er³⁺) and host (Fe³⁺) cations. These ferrites were also subjected for electrical, magnetic and dielectric investigations. I–V measurements showed that resistivity values decreased from 6.20 × 10⁷ Ω cm to 0.03 × 10⁷ Ω cm with the increased Er³⁺ contents. Saturation magnetization increased from 35.99 to 39.95 emu/g. This high value of saturation magnetization suggested the possible utilization of such ferrites for practical applications such as microwave and recording devices fabrication. Interestingly, the magnetic and dielectric properties of nickel-cobalt ferrite nanoparticles showed ample improvement upon Er³⁺ substitution. The results clearly indicate the potential of Er⁺³ substituted spinel ferrite particles in various advanced technological devices fabrication.     

Effects of Yb and Sc co-doping on the thermal properties and CMAS corrosion of garnet-type (Y3-xYbx)(Al5-xScx)O12 ceramics

Thermal barrier coatings with excellent thermal performance and corrosion resistance are essential for improving the performance of aero-engines. In this paper, (Y_3-xYb_x)(Al_5-xSc_x)O₁₂ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) thermal barrier coating materials were synthesized by a combination of sol-gel method and ball milling refinement method. The thermal properties of the (Y_3-xYb_x)(Al_5-xSc_x)O₁₂ ceramics were significantly improved by increasing Yb and Sc doping content. Among designed ceramics, (Y_2.8Yb_0.2)(Al_4.8Sc_0.2)O₁₂ (YS-YAG) showed the lowest thermal conductivity (1.58 Wm^?1K^?1, at 800 °C) and the highest thermal expansion coefficient (10.7 × 10^?6 K^?1, at 1000 °C). In addition, calcium-magnesium- aluminum -silicate (CMAS) corrosion resistance of YS-YAG was further investigated. It was observed that YS-YAG ceramic effectively prevented CMAS corrosion due to its chemical inertness to CMAS as well as its unique and complex structure. Due to the excellent thermal properties and CMAS corrosion resistance, YS-YAG is considered to be prospective material for thermal barrier coatings.     

Synthesis,characterization and charge transport properties of Pr–Ni Co-doped SrFe2O4 spinel for high frequency devices applications

Ferrites are materials of interest due to their broad applications in high technological devices and a lot of research has been focused to synthesize new ferrites. In this regard, an effort has been devoted to synthesize spinel Pr–Ni co-substituted strontium ferrites with a nominal formula of Sr_1-xPr_xFe_2-yNi_yO₄ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1, 0.0 ≤ y ≤ 1.0). The cubic structure of pure and Pr–Ni co-substituted strontium ferrite samples calcinated at 1073 K for 3 h has been confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD). Average sizes of crystallites (18–25 nm) have been estimated from XRD analysis and nanometer particle sizes of synthesized ferrites have been further verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM results have also shown that particles are mostly agglomerated and all the samples possess porosity. It has been observed that at 298 K, the values of resistivity (ρ) increase, while that of AC conductivity, dielectric loss, and dielectric constants decrease with increasing amounts of Pr³⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions. The values of dielectric parameters initially decrease with frequency and later become constant and can be explained on the basis of dielectric polarization. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies show that the charge transport phenomenon in ferrite materials is mainly controlled via grain boundaries. Overall, synthesized ferrite materials own enhanced resistivity values in the range of 1.38 × 10⁹–1.94 × 10⁹ Ω cm and minimum dielectric losses, which makes them suitable candidates for high frequency devices applications.     

Frequency, temperature and In dependent electrical conduction in NiFe2O4 powder

A series of polycrystalline spinel ferrites with the composition NiIn_xFe_2-xO₄ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) were prepared by the solid state reaction to study the effect of In³⁺ ions substitution on their dc electrical resistivity and dielectric properties. The dc resistivity has been investigated as a function of temperature and composition. The indium ion increases the dc resistivity and activation energy of the system. A study of the dielectric properties of these mixed ferrites, as a function of composition, frequency and temperature, has been undertaken. The dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″) and dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) all decreases with frequency as well as with the composition. The dielectric constant (ε′) and dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) were increases with increasing temperature. AC conductivity increases with increase in applied frequency. The dielectric behavior of the present samples is attributed to the Maxwell-Wagner type interfacial polarization. The conduction mechanism in these ferrites is due to electron hopping between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions on adjacent octahedral sites.     

Structure and microwave dielectric properties of Li(Al1-xLix)SiO4-x ceramics

Li(Al_1-xLi_x)SiO_4-x (x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, and 0.02) ceramics were synthesized via a traditional solid phase reaction method with different sintering temperatures. To determine the positions occupied by Li⁺ in the lattice, the defect formation energies and total energies of various sites of LiAlSiO₄ (LAS) occupied by Li⁺ were examined, and the energy of LAS systems were calculated using density functional theory of first-principle with the CASTEP module. The results demonstrated that the Al-sites occupied by Li⁺ had the lowest formation energies and total energy, so Li ⁺ should substitute Al³⁺. The impacts of replacing Al³⁺ with Li⁺ on the bulk density, sintering properties, phase composition, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of Li(Al_1-xLi_x)SiO_4-x (0 = x ≤ 0.02) ceramics were thoroughly studied. With Li⁺-doping, the sintering temperature decreased from 1300 °C (x = 0) to 1175 °C (x = 0.02), while the Q × f and τ_f values of LAS ceramics significantly increased. The Li(Al_0.99Li_0.01)SiO_3.99 ceramic was fully sintered at 1250 °C for 10 h to obtain excellent microwave dielectric properties: ε_r = 3.49, Q × f = 51,358 GHz, and τ_f = ?51.48 × 10^?6 °C^?1.     

Nb5+ ion substitution assisted the magnetic and gyromagnetic properties of NiCuZn ferrite for high frequency LTCC devices

Nowadays, developing nickle zinc ferrites with excellent magnetic and gyromagnetic properties are of great importance for solving the matching problem of 5G communication system. However, much is discussed about soft magnetic properties, but little is reported gyromagnetic properties that is critical for microwave device applications. Herein, Nb⁵⁺ ions substituted Ni_0.29Cu_0.18Zn_0.53Nb_xFe_2-xO₄ (x = 0.00-0.05), possessing high saturation magnetization, approriate initial permeability, high cut-off frequency and low ferromagnetic resonance linewidth (@9.55 GHz), were synthesized by low-temperature firing (900 °C). The phase structure and morphology evolutions were studied in detail. The results of morphology observations revealed that Nb⁵⁺ substitution has significant role in determining produce compact and uniform microstructures of NiCuZn ferrites via suppress the grain growth, which further corresponding enhance the magnetic and gyromagnetic properties. As a result, a uniform and compact grain size can be obtained, corresponding to the change of magnetic and gyromagenetic properties have different trends. Enhanced magnetic and gyromagnetic performance including high initial permeability (μ' = 203 @1 MHz), saturation magnetization (4πM_s = 3966 Gauss) and low ferromagnetic resonance linewidth (ΔH = 203 Oe) of the NiCuZn ferrites is achieved though adjusting Nb⁵⁺ ions substitution. More importantly, this work not only for low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology but also for high frequency and microwave frequency devices including phase shifter and radars.     

Insight of structural,dielectric and spectroscopic characteristics of Ba0.6Sr0.4-xYbxFe12-yCoyO19 M-type hexaferrite

Ba_0.6Sr_0.4-xYb_xFe_12-yCo_yO₁₉, (0.0≤x ≤ 0.125, 0.0≤y ≤ 1.25) M-type hexaferrite were synthesized using the auto combustion sol-gel process. The synthesized samples were then sintered at 1200 °C for 5 h in a muffle furnace. XRD, FTIR, Raman, and Photoluminescence spectroscopies were used to analyse all the samples. XRD technique was used for structural examination of Ba_0.6Sr_0.4-xYb_xFe_12-yCo_yO₁₉. The XRD patterns of Yb–Co co-substituted M-type hexaferrites revealed the pure single phase of synthesized samples. Change in Yb–Co concentration influenced lattice parameters and unit cell volume. The variations in lattice constants "a" and "c" values are 5.891–5.862 and 23.180–23.317. FTIR spectroscopic data graphs revealed the formation of several absorption bands from 430 cm^?1 to 3000 cm^?1. The strain in the unit cell produced by substitution changes in Raman spectra which is also confirmed by XRD. Many 630 nm–700 nm emissions were observed in the PL spectra of Ba_0.6Sr_0.4-xYb_xFe_12-yCo_yO_19. Furthermore, a bandgap of 1.961–1.875 eV was observed for the pure sample. The substitution improves the dielectric losses and Ac conductivity. The Maxwell-Wagner theory was used to investigate the changing trends of characteristics regarding dielectric parameters. The findings show that the samples with the appropriate cationic substitution can be used in microwave and high-frequency applications.     

Preparation and properties of sol–gel synthesized Mg-substituted Ni2Y hexagonal ferrites

A series of single phased Y-type hexagonal ferrites Sr₂Ni_2?xMg_xFe₁₂O₂₂ (x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) were synthesized by the sol–gel auto combustion method. The effects on structural, magnetic and electrical properties have been investigated by substituting Mg²⁺ at Ni²⁺ sites. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm single phase Y-type hexaferrite and various parameters such as lattice constants, cell volume, X-ray density, bulk density and porosity have been calculated from XRD data. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra show the characteristics absorption ferrite peaks of the sintered sample. The microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the ferrites show a hexagonal platelet-like shape which is a most suitable shape for microwave absorption. The dielectric constant followed the Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization and relaxation peaks were observed in the dielectric loss properties. The room temperature dc electrical resistivity and activation energy were found to decrease for samples x=0.1, 0.2 and increase for the rest of samples hence making these materials suitable for multilayer chip inductors (MLCIs). A soft magnetic behavior was revealed by M–H loops. Saturation magnetization (M_s), retentivity (M_r), coercivity (H_c) and magnetic moment (n_B) were found to decrease as the Mg²⁺ contents increased.     

Effect of holmium on the magnetic and electrical properties of barium based W-type hexagonal ferrites

A series of BaHo_xFe_16−xO₂₇ (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) W-type hexagonal ferrites were prepared by co-precipitation technique at high annealing temperature of 1320 °C. XRD reveals single W-type hexagonal phase in these ferrites. The grain size is measured by SEM analysis using line intercept method. Saturation magnetization, retentivity and coercivity were measured from MH-loops taken on VSM. It was observed that magnetization increases with the increase of Ho content due to difference in ionic radii of Ho³⁺ (0.901 Å) and Fe³⁺ (0.67 Å) ions. Room temperature dc resistivity increases as a function of Ho³⁺ that may be due to separation between grains. The dc electrical resistivity decreases as a function of temperature which indicates the semi-conducting behavior of the samples.     

Effects of Ni2+ concentration on the composition,structure, magnetic properties,and DC-bias superposition characteristics of NiCuZn ferrites

Ni_xCu_0.2Zn_yFe_1.98O₄ (x = 0.16, 0.26, 0.35, 0.43, 0.50; y = 0.8?x) ferrites were prepared via solid-state reaction. The influence of Ni²⁺ concentration on ferrites composition, microstructure, magnetic properties and DC-bias superposition characteristics was studied by XRD, SEM, XPS, and VSM. Then, the effect of magnetic properties on the DC-bias superposition characteristics was analyzed. The results showed that the ferrites sintered at 900 °C for 3 h were all in pure spinel phase with an average grain size of 7.5 μm and a relative density of about 5.15 g cm^?3. With the increase in Ni²⁺ concentration, the saturation magnetization (M_s) and coercivity (H_c) of ferrites increased, but the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (K₁) first increased and then decreased. And the M_s, H_c, and K₁ of the specimen with x = 0.43 were 63.62 emu·g^?1, 27.36 Oe, and 1813.17 Oe·emu·g^?1, respectively. In particular, the specimen of x = 0.50 achieved the best DC superposition characteristics, where the H_70% was about 220 A m^?1. The incremental permeability of the specimens decreased rapidly at a bias magnetic field <400 A m^?1. The variation mainly originated from the domain wall displacement, and the rate of decrease was influenced by both M_s and K₁. At a bias magnetic field ≥400 A m^?1, the incremental permeability of the specimens decreased slowly, mainly because the number of domain walls decreased until disappearing, and the specimens tended to become a single domain structure. And the rate of decrease of incremental permeability was mainly affected by K₁.     

Enhancement of structural and microwave properties of Zn2+ ion-substituted Li2MgSiO4 ceramics for LTCC applications

In this study, Zn²⁺-substituted Li₂MgSiO₄ ceramics (Li₂(Mg_1-xZn_x)SiO₄, x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) were synthesized using a traditional solid-state method. A fixed amount of LiF sintering aid (1.5 wt%) was added to the ceramics for decreasing the sintering temperature and adjusting their microwave dielectric properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed no secondary phases, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data suggest that the Zn²⁺ ion substitution increased the size and uniformity of the grains, thereby affecting the densification of the prepared ceramics. The maximum bulk density (2.94 g/cm³) was found in a Zn²⁺ ion-substituted ceramic with x = 0.10 at a relative density of 94.2% (compared with the XRD theoretical density). Excellent microwave dielectric properties (ε_r = 6.28, Q × f = 50400 GHz, and τ_f = ?145 ppm/°C) can also be obtained at this zirconium content. We believe that the developed ceramics are promising for use as antenna substrates or transmit/receive modules in low-temperature co-firing ceramic applications.