Heat capacity of iron-chromium spinels,Fe3−xCrxO4

The heat capacity of Fe_3?xCr_xO₄ with the composition x = 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 was measured from 200 to 850 K. A γ-type heat capacity anomaly due to the ferri-paramagnetic transition was observed for all compositions. The transition temperatures were 652, 563, and 451 K for the compositions x = 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0, respectively. The variation of transition temperature with composition is discussed in terms of cation distribution. The magnetic contribution to the observed heat capacity was obtained by assuming that the heat capacity is expressed by the sum of the lattice heat capacity C_v(1), the dilation contribution d(d), and the magnetic contribution C(m). Entropy changes due to the transition were calculated from C(m) as 52.6, 49.7, and 46.3 J K^?1 mole^?1 for the compositions x = 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0, respectively, which are from 7 to 12 J K^?1 mole^?1 higher than the calculated values based on the assumption of randomization of unpaired spins on each ion. The difference between the observed and the calculated values is roughly explained by taking into account the orbital contribution of Fe²⁺ ions on octahedral and tetrahedral sites.