EPR studies of highly pure,pure and doped chromium oxide powders

Abstract

EPR absorption measurements on ‘pure’, highly pure and A1₂O₃ doped Cr₂O₃ powder have been made. The EPR absorption in the ‘pure’ powders obtained below Ntel temperature is shown to be due to background magnetic impurities present in the powders and not due to superparamagnetism as suggested by earlier authors. No EPR absorption could be observed below Nkl temperature in highly pure powders (total background impurity concentration less than 5 ppm). ‘Pure’ powders or highly pure powders mixed with A1₂O₃ powder and annealed at high temperatures showed a symmetrical EPR absorption line at room temperature. The shape and the g value of this line are practically the same as those obtained for Cr³⁺ ions in Cr₂O₃ above Nee1 temperature or in other nonmagnetic crystals. It is concluded from these results that the impurities diffuse into Cr₂O₃ powder, the antiferro-magnetic coupling between some of the Cr³⁺ ions is broken and these Cr³⁺ ions become paramagnetic, even when the bulk of the material is in antiferromagnetic state. The variation of half-width of EPR lines with impurity concentration shows that the dipolar coupling between Cr³⁺ ions decreases with the increase in impurity concentration and when the impurity concentration is high the Néel temperature seems to shift to lower temperatures. A longer heat treatment of the ‘pure’ B powder resulted in the production of shining metal particles in the powder. The EPR of this powder showed excessive increase in the intensity of EPR absorption when the temperature of the powder was raised to a value just above the Néel temperature. A comparison of these reuslts with the work of earlier authors suggests that the shinning metal particles are those of chromium metal and are responsible for this increase in EPR absorption.