Effect of calcination temperature on structural and magnetic properties of lightly lanthanum substituted M-type strontium cobalt hexaferrites

A series of M-type lanthanum substituted strontium cobalt hexaferrites, Sr<inf>0.5</inf>Co<inf>0.5</inf>La<inf>x</inf>Fe<inf>12-</inf><inf>x</inf>O<inf>19</inf>(x=0.0, 0.05, 0.15 and 0.2) was synthesized using the simple heat treatment method. The synthesized hexagonal ferrites were calcinated at 950°C and 1050°C for 3 hrs in a muffle furnace and then slowly cooled to room temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and magnetic hysteresis loops were used to investigate the structural and magnetic properties of prepared samples respectively. The X-ray diffraction analysis of all the samples shows the presence of M- type hexagonal ferrite and hematite phases. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis loops analysis shows the increase in saturation magnetization with the increase in lanthanum substitution.