Microwave Sintering of Nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 Ferrite Powder and Their Magnetic Properties

Nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 (0 = x = 1.0) powder with grain size of 30 nm was prepared using the spraying-coprecipitation method. The obtained nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 powder was sintered using conventional and microwave sintering techniques. The results show that the microstructure and magnetic properties of the sintered samples are obviously improved by microwave sintering of nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 ferrite powder. The initial permeability of Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 ferrite increases with the increase in zinc concentration, although its resonance frequencies shift from high frequency to low frequency. The maximum initial permeability for microwave-sintered Ni0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 ceramic obtained at the temperature of 1170 degrees C for 30 min reaches up to 360.9, and its resonance frequency is 10 MHz. It may be attributed to the nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 raw powder as well as the microwave sintering process, which results in a synergistic effect on improvement of the microstructure and magnetic properties.