Self propagating high temperature synthesis of magnesium zinc ferrites (MgxZn1-xFe2O3): thermal imaging and time resolved X-ray diffraction experiments

Spinel ferrites of the form MgxZn1-xFe2O4 ( x = 0. 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00) were prepared by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from reactions of iron(III), zinc and magnesium oxides, iron powder and sodium perchlorate. The driving force for the reactions is the oxidation of iron powder. Reactions were carried out in the presence of an external magnetic field of 0.2 or 1.1 T. Reaction velocity and temperatures were obtained by thermal imaging camera. The transformation of reactants to products was studied by time resolved X-ray diffraction using Rietveld refinement for determination of phase percentages. Reactions typically reached temperatures in excess of 1150 degreesC with a timescale of complete conversion of reactant to products of 20 s. All materials were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mossbauer spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM).