Cation distribution in natural ferrites

Mössbauer spectra of jacobsite have been recorded at temperatures of 4.2, 125, 180, 240 and 300 K and with an external magnetic field of 60 kOe applied parallel to the incident radiation at 4.2 K. The results show the presence of two different magnetic hyperfine interactions associated with the iron nuclei. Spectra of samples in external magnetic fields indicate the same sign for the magnetic hyperfine interactions, implying that both iron ions occupy only the octahedral sublattice. These results are compared with data from synthetic stoichiometry manganese ferrite, and a model of cation distribution, assuming the existence of vacancies, is proposed. According to this model, the mineral jacobsite is rich in manganese compared with stoichiometric MnFe₂O₄ ferrite.