Advanced Synthesis and Multifunctional Characterization of Neodymium-Doped Ba₂NiCoFe₂₈₋ₓO₄₆ X-Type Hexagonal Ferrites: A Comprehensive Study of Structural, Morphological, and Electromagnetic Properties

The hexagonal X-type ferrites have very excellent electromagnetic properties and hence they would do well in advanced technological applications. A set of the neodymium-substituted Ba2NiCoNdxFe28-xO46 [x= 0.00, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.20] X -type hexaferrites was synthesised in this study in Co-precipitation process with subsequent growth at 950 0C, on a 6 h period. Through an analytical study of the structural and the morphological characteristics and magnetic characteristics (using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron micro-scope (SEM) the doped ferrites were studied. The resulting XRD patterns showed that a single-phase hexagonal structure (P6 3/mmc, space group) was obtained; the lattice parameters, “a” and “c” increased systematically with the Nd 3 + substitution level (x), i.e., from 2.842 to 2.862 Å and 4.980 to 4.962 Å, respectively, as x varied in the range 0.04-0.16. Recalculation of the crystal grain size determined by applying Scherrer equation showed that grain size grew with the increase in doping concentration; as shown by 36.5 and 50.96 nm (x = 0.04; 0.16, respectively). To determine the extent to which the intention to incorporate Nd 3+ into the ferrite lattice achieved success, FTIR spectra revealed two typical absorption bands in the frequency range of 400-4000 cm 1 corresponding to the metal- oxygen vibration at four high frequencies tetrahedral and four low frequency octahedral sites, respectively. In the SEM micrographs, an almost significant grain size aggrandizement was shown as the Nd3+ content rose indicating that during the sintering, high grain growth was brought about by the dopants. Magnetic characterisation studies showed that the saturation magnetisation depended strongly on Nd 3+ substitution that was caused by the changes in Fe3+-O2- superexchange interactions. The results are significant in ways that explore structure-property interconnection in Nd 3+ -doped X-type hexaferr