Structural and electromagnetic properties of 3D printed and electron beam sintered lithium ferrite ceramic

In this work, the structures and electromagnetic properties of lithium ferrite ceramics manufactured by the additive method, based on the extrusion deposition of ferrite samples with a binder and their subsequent heating with high-energy electron beam, were studied. Preliminary synthesis of ferrite powder was carried out by a solidphase method using iron oxide and lithium carbonate. To prepare ferrite paste, a binder based on ethylcellulose and terpineol was used. The printed samples were sintered by heating with 1.4 MeV electron beam using an ELV6 accelerator. Using X-ray phase analysis, it was established that the sintered ceramic consists mainly of an ordered alpha- Li0.5Fe2.5O4 phase and a certain amount of disordered beta- Li0.5Fe2.5O4 phase. Ferrite ceramics are characterized by a relative density of 72.6-92.1 %, specific saturation magnetization of 63-65 emu/g, Curie temperature of 628-630 degrees C, electrical resistivity of 108-106 Omega cm, depending on the thickness of the printed sample (200 and 400 mu m) and sintering temperature (1100 and 1200 degrees & Scy;).