Magnetic behaviour of nanocrystalline nickel ferrite: Part 2 - Effect of dilution

The magnetic behaviour of nanocrystalline ferrite is compared with the diluted dispersion systems containing 10-40 wt-% nickel ferrite in a polyethylene matrix. The zero field cooled (ZFC)/field cooled (FC) magnetic measurements [M(T)] and M(H) measurements suggest strong evidence of interparticle interaction (dipolar surface interactions) which cannot be ignored even in 10 wt-% nickel ferrite-polyethylene diluted system. The general magnetic behaviour of diluted dispersion is similar to that of the undiluted nickel ferrite. However, coercivity, remanence and saturation magnetisation are altered. The changes in the magnetic data are discussed in terms of magnetisation interactions that encourage flux closure configuration.