Abstract:
Manganese and Nickel doped Zinc Ferrite powder (Mn0.3 Ni0.3 Zn0.4 Fe2O4) was synthesized by autocatalytic thermal decomposition technique. The average crystallite size in the material powder was found to be of 10-13 nm. Characterization techniques such as X-Ray diffraction studies, Transmission electron microscopy, Infra-Red spectroscopy, etc, were employed to study the average particle size, phase and composition of the ferrite. Thick films of Mn0.3 Ni0.3 Zn0.4 Fe2O4 were prepared by screen printing technique. These films were observed to be sensitive to 10 ppm NH3 at room temperature. The effects of surface microstructure, operating temperature, gas concentrations, etc., on the gas response, selectivity, response and recovery times of the sensor in the presence of NH3 and other gases were studied and discussed.
