Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of cobalt chromium spinel CoCr2O4

In the present work, the sinterability and formation of cobalt chromium spinel (CoCr2O4) by the aqueous sol-gel process are investigated. The metal ions generated by dissolving starting materials of metals in diluted acetic acid were complexed by 1,2-ethanediol to obtain precursors for mixed-metal ceramics. The phase purity of the synthesized compounds was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The microstructural evolution and morphological features of the obtained products were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The SEM and optical characterization of this compound has shown that the sol-gel-derived material may be successfully used as an effective cobalt-based ceramic pigment.