Effect of pH on structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Y < inf > 3 < /inf > Fe < inf > 5 < /inf > O < inf > 12 < /inf > by aqueous co-precipitation method

Abstract

The Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) nanopowders were synthesised at different pH using co-precipitation method. The effect of pH on the phase formation of YIG is characterised using XRD, TEM, FTIR and TG/DTA. From the Scherer formula, the particle sizes of the powders were found to be 13, 19 and 28 nm for pH510, 11 and 12 respectively. It is found that as the pH of the solution increase the particle size is also increases. It is also clear from the TG/DTA curves that as the pH is increasing the weight losses were found to be small. The nanopowders were sintered at 600, 700, 800 and 900°C for 5 h using conventional sintering method. The phase formation is completed at 800°C/5 h which is correlated with TG/DTA. The average grain size of the samples is found to be ∼161 nm. The high values of Ms=23 emu g-1 and Hc=22 Oe were recorded for the sample sintered at 900°C. © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd. 2014.