Materials Research Bulletin, Vol.75, 127-133, 2016
Enhancement of magnetic moment in Co substituted Nanocrystalline epsilon-CoxFe3-xN (0.2 <= x <= 0.4) synthesized by modified citrate precursor route
Nanocrystalline epsilon-Fe3N and epsilon-CoxFe3-xN (0.2 <= x <= 0.4) nitride materials having crystallite size range of 44-55 nm are synthesized by nitridation of mixed metal oxide in the desired compositions using NH3(g). epsilon-Fe3N and epsilon-CoxFe(3-x),N (0.2 <= x <= 0.4) nitrides crystallize in hcp structure, with lattice parameters, a=4.7812 and c =4.4232 angstrom and in the range, a =4.7728-4.7839 angstrom and c =4.4130-4.4233 angstrom, respectively. The c/a ratio shows initial drop at x= 0.2 and then increases with increasing Co at.% up to x= 0.4. SEM study indicates agglomerated particles in the size range of 110-155 nm. The values of saturation magnetization, M, and coercivity, H, for epsilon-Fe3N and s-CoxFe(3-x)N (0.2 <= x <= 0.4) nitrides are found to be in the range of 8-39 emu/g and 199-219 nm, respectively. Enhancement of M-s, is observed with progressive increase in Co at% in epsilon-CoxFe(3-x)N (0.2