Features of Synthesis and Magnetic Characteristics of Yttrium Orthoferrite Produced by Gel Combustion

The effect of an organic fuel on the combustion mode, features of combustion, and the phase composition of the end product of the synthesis of yttrium orthoferrite was studied. It was shown that the production of YFeO3 requires a fuel that favors the formation of a single polymer metal-containing complex determining the gel structure and ensures the combustion in an intense self-sustaining mode. Yttrium orthoferrite was synthesized by gel combustion using a mixture of citric acid and ammonium nitrate as a fuel. The unit cell parameters of orthorhombic (space group Pnma) yttrium orthoferrite were found to be a = 5.594(2) A, b = 7.604(3) A, c = 5.282(1) A, and V = 224.7(3) A3. The temperature dependence of the specific magnetization of YFeO3 in the range 80–800 K was investigated. The temperature of the magnetic phase transformation magnetic order–magnetic disorder was determined to be TC ~ 620 K.