Ferromagnetic resonance behavior of spark plasma sintered Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles produced by a chemical route

Ferrite nanoparticles of composition Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 were prepared by forced hydrolysis in a polyol (polyol process) from the corresponding iron, nickel, and zinc acetates. Synthesis conditions allowed for obtaining polycrystalline epitaxial clusters of about 22 nm in size with an average crystal size of about 5 nm. These powders were subsequently consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique under a pressure of 80 MPa and temperatures in the 350 to 500 degrees C range for short periods (5 to 10 min). Densities reached 92% to 94% of the theoretical density. Particle size remained smaller than 61 nm, even for the highest temperature. Ferromagnetic resonance experiments at 77 K showed broadened resonance lines. In contrast with powdered nanoparticles, these high-density bodies can be used in many high-frequency applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3565397]