Effect of the thermal treatment conditions on the formation of zinc ferrite nanocomposite, ZnFe2O4, by sol-gel method

Zinc ferrite nanocomposite was synthesized via thermal decomposition of zinc acetate and iron nitrate at three different temperatures (350, 450, and 550 A degrees C). The influence of the thermal decomposition of precursors on the formation zinc ferrites was studied by differential thermal gravimetry and thermogravimetry (TG). The TG curve shows two steps for the thermal decomposition with mass loss of 17.3 % at 78 A degrees C and 63.3 % at 315 A degrees C. The prepared zinc ferrites nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffractograms of ZnFe2O4 shows that a crystalline phase, spinel system is formed. SEM micrograph of the zinc ferrite nanocomposite indicates the formation of uniformly spherical 48-nm nanograins. The properties of the zinc ferrite phase were strongly dependent on their calcinations temperature and molar ratio of precursors.