Effect of zinc substitution on structural and elastic properties of cobalt ferrite

Polycrystalline ferrites with general formula Co1-xZnxFe2O4 (x = 0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8, and 1.0) were prepared by solid-state reaction technique. The structure and morphology of obtained products were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. The analysis of XRD pattern revealed the formation of single-phase cubic spinel structure. Lattice constant increases with increase in zinc content, obeying Vegard's law. Elastic Properties such as longitudinal velocity (V-l), transverse velocities (V-t), Poisson's ratio (sigma) and Debye temperature (theta(D)) have been studied. In the present work the elastic properties decreases with zinc composition x whereas Poisson's ratios almost remain constant. Debye temperature calculated from elastic data decreases with Zn substitution. A probable explanation has been proposed to explain the effect of zinc substitution on structural and elastic properties of cobalt ferrite. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.