Effect of calcination on the microstructural and magnetic properties of PVA, PVP and PEG assisted zinc ferrite nanoparticles

The effects of calcination on the synthesis of polymer (P) assisted zinc ferrite (Zn0.5PxFe2-xO4) (0.00 <= x <= 0.10) nanoparticles by the biological thermal method were investigated. The zinc ferrite synthesized was doped with 0.1 g in situ by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) and Polyethylene glycol (PEG) respectively. The properties of the formulated nanoparticles were determined by various characterization techniques. The XRD confirmed the formation of a single-phase spinel with intense crystallinity for samples calcined at 500 degrees C. SEM revealed the spherical morphology of the calcined samples. FTIR analysis shows the existence of the spinel ferrite phases with a slight variation in the two main bands. The VSM showed a transformation from ferromagnetic to superparamagnetic behavior. Thus, the calcined sample yields favorable structure, low crystallite size, uniform morphology and good magnetic properties. These controllable and improved properties obtained by calcination help the nanoparticles to attain its maximum functionality for various applications.