The role of Eu2O3 and CeO2 on the phase formation, infrared emission and magnetic properties of Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 ceramics by a solvothermal method

Abstract Nanosized Eu2O3 and CeO2 co-addition CoZn ceramics have been achieved via a hydrothermal method by adjusting the mol ratios of Eu and Ce. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Infrared emission measurement (IRE-2). The particle morphologies of the as-prepared samples evolve from spherical, to self-assembled nanoparticles, and irregular nanoparticles when the mol ratios (x) of Eu and Ce was changed from 0:10 to 10:0. Correspondingly, the main phases of the as-prepared samples change from both cubic spinel CoFe2O4 and CeO2, pure cubic cerianite CeO2, to amorphous. Meanwhile, the as-prepared samples appear transformed from a ferromagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization 66.4 emu/g to a paramagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 0.55 emu/g at turning point x=3.5:6.5. While the infrared emissivity is increasing as the x from 0:10 to 3.5:6.5, reach the maximum at 3.6:6.4, and then remain stable when further increasing x till 10:0. Those may be due to the amorphous tendency rising and the particle sizes gradual decreasing with x increasing from 0:10 to 10:0. What is more important is that the solvothermal method is proved to be an efficient way to prepare CoZn nano-ceramics in this study which may open new pathways to magnetic and far infrared therapy.