COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIELECTRIC BEHAVIOR OF Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 NANOFERRITE BY CITRATE PRECURSOR METHOD

Abstract

In the present work, comparative study of the dielectric behavior of Mn 0.4 Zn 0.6 Fe 2 O 4 ferrite synthesized with and without H 2 O 2 (hydrogen peroxide) has been presented. The dc resistivity has been improved by the citrate precursor method as compared to the ceramic method, and it is further improved by the addition of H 2 O 2, which acts as a strong oxidizing agent. We have shown by means of X-ray diffraction that the resulting ferrite is made up of nanocrystallites and the average size of these nanocrystallites–calculated by Scherrer's formula–depends on the polarizer. The average particle size was found to be ~70 nm with H 2 O 2 and ~88 nm without H 2 O 2. The particle size is further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Both the results are found to be in good agreement. The decrease in dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor by addition of oxidizing agent is justified by inverse proportionality between the resistivity and dielectric constant. Possible mechanisms contributing to these processes have been discussed.