Abstract
A single-phase CaCu3Mn4O12 electroceramic had been prepared via solid state reaction. The preparation conditions have been optimized using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. Material formation under the reported conditions have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The results show that the formation of CaCu3Mn4O12 started at 600 degrees C with the presence of secondary phases and was completely formed at 850 degrees C. Following a similar procedure, then CaCu3-xMn4+xO12 (where x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9) was sintered at 1090 degrees C for 24 hours. The microstructure of all CaCu3-xMn4+xO12 was analysed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The relative density of all samples is higher than 84%. The magnetic hysteresis, (M(H)) loops, were measured at room temperature which show that the values of saturation magnetization (M-S) and remanence (M-r) increase, while the coercitivity (H-C) decreases with an increase of the relative density of CaCu3-xMn4+xO12. This behavior proved that CaCu3-xMn4+xO12 samples are soft magnetic materials. The coercitivity decreases with an increase in the value of x.