Effects of calcium and zinc on the adsorption of cobalt on γ-Fe2O3

The effects of calcium and zinc on the room-temperature coercivity of γ-Fe₂O₃ particles having cobalt ions adsorbed in 3M NaOH solution at 373K have been studied. When the Ca²⁺ ions are adsorbed on the γ-Fe₂O₃ prior to Co²⁺ ions adsorption, the coercivity of Co-modified γ-Fe₂O₃ significantly increases compared with that of γ-Fe₂O₃ modified only with Co²⁺ ions. In the case of Zn²⁺ ions, the coercivity of Co-modified γ-Fe₂O₃ is the same as that of γ-Fe₂O₃ modified only with Co²⁺ ions. The emission Mössbauer spectrum of⁵⁷Co²⁺ adsorbed on the surfaces of γ-Fe₂O₃ after pretreating with Ca²⁺ ions consists of a typical sextet of Fe³⁺ ions with hyperfine magnetic field, whereas those of γ-Fe₂O₃ modified only with Co²⁺ ions and with both Zn²⁺ and Co²⁺ ions show nonmagnetic components in addition to magnetic one. The effects of Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions on the adsorption of cobalt on the surface of γ-Fe₂O₃ are discussed from the viewpoint of site preference energy of cations in ferrite and distribution ratio of each cation.