Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
The paper describes the surface roughness and dilution effects on the magnetic behavior of nanocrystalline nickel ferrites studied by SQUID magnetometer. Two different kinds of measurements were performed: (a) zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC) magnetization versus temperature and (b) magnetization as a function of the applied field. The analysis of magnetic measurements indicate that while the superparamagnetic behavior is retained by nanocrystalline ferrites of different surface roughness (0.8-1.8 nm) at 300K, the hysteresis loop at 2K becomes non-squared and the coercivity increases with increase in surface roughness. This behavior is discussed in terms of broken bonds and degree of surface spin disorder. In diluted dispersion systems containing 10-40% nickel ferrite in a polyethylene matrix, the interparticle attractions continue to be dominant even when the concentration of nickel ferrite is 10 wt.% in the diluted system. The general magnetic behavior of diluted dispersion system is similar to the undiluted system; however, coercivity, remanence, and saturation magnetization are altered. These changes in the magnetic data are ascribed to magnetization interactions that encourage flux closure configuration.