A. Dias et al., PARTICLE-SIZE AND MORPHOLOGY OF HYDROTHERMALLY PROCESSED MNZN FERRITES OBSERVED BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY, Journal of Materials Science, 32(17), 1997, pp. 4715-4718
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to analyse ultrafine MnZn f
errite powders, obtained by precipitation from metal sulphates and sod
ium hydroxide at 110 and 190 degrees C, under hydrothermal conditions.
Particle sizes measured on AFM images taken at the surfaces of presse
d samples ranged from 10 to 40 nm, as a function of synthesis temperat
ure, and were in good agreement with measurements made using X-ray dif
fraction and the Brunnauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique. Direct obser
vation a Iso showed that the particles were monodispersed and approxim
ately spherical in shape, meeting the requirements for the production
of high density sintered components. Using a straightforward sample-pr
eparation technique, AFM proved to be a powerful tool for direct analy
sis of ceramic powder particles on the nanometre scale.