Structures and magnetic properties of nanocomposite CoFe₂O₄-BaTiO₃ fibers by organic gel-thermal decomposition process

Abstract

The nanocomposite xCoFe₂O₄-(1−x)BaTiO₃ (x=0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, molar fraction) fibers with fine diameters and high aspect ratios (length to diameter ratios) were prepared by the organic gel-thermal decomposition process from citric acid and metal salts. The structures and morphologies of gel precursors and fibers derived from thermal decomposition of the gel precursors were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic properties of the nanocomposite fibers were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer. The nanocomposite fibers consisting of ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) and perovskite (BaTiO₃) are formed at the calcination temperature of 900 °C for 2 h. The average grain sizes of CoFe₂O₄ and BaTiO₃ in the nanocomposite fibers increase from 25 to 65 nm with the calcination temperature from 900 to 1 180 °C. The single fiber constructed from these nanograins of CoFe₂O₄ and BaTiO₃ has a necklace-like morphology. The saturation magnetization of the nanocomposite 0.4CoFe₂O₄-0.6BaTiO₃ fibers increases with the increase of CoFe₂O₄ grain size, while the coercivity reaches a maximum value when the average grain size of CoFe₂O₄ is around the critical single-domain size of 45 nm obtained at 1 000 °C. The saturation magnetization and remanence of the nanocomposite xCoFe₂O₄-(1−x)BaTiO₃ (x=0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) fibers almost exhibit a linear relationship with the molar fraction of CoFe₂O₄ in the nanocomposites.

Keywords

nanocomposite / CeFe₂O₄ / BaTiO₃ / fiber / organic gel-thermal decomposition process / magnetic property