Ferrimagnetic Garnets Containing Pentavalent Antimony

Abstract

Pentavalent antimony may be substituted for Fe³⁺ ions in iron garnets when appropriate electrostatic compensation is made. It appears that the Sb⁵⁺ ion prefers octahedral sites exclusively. Magnetic and crystallographic data are reported on the systems {Y_3−2xCa_2x} [Sb_xFe_2−x](Fe₃)O₁₂ and {Ca₃} [Sb_xFe_2−x]− (Fe_1.5+xV_1.5−x)O₁₂, the latter is the system obtained from solid solutions between the end member {Ca₃} [Sb_1.5Fe_0.5](Fe₃)O₁₂ of the former and the previously reported ferrimagnetic garnet {Ca₃}[Fe₂]− (Fe_1.5V_1.5]O₁₂. Magnetic and crystallographic data are also given on four other garnets involving substitution of Sb⁵⁺ ions. Results are compared with those from systems in which di‐, tri‐, and tetravalent nonmagnetic ions are substituted for Fe³⁺ ions in YIG (yttrium iron garnet). An important conclusion is the corroboration of the idea that the particular nonmagnetic ion substituent affects the magnetic behavior, probably as a result of the nature of the chemical bonding of the particular ion. Probably most interesting is the result that the Sb⁵⁺ ion provides additional ferrimagnetic garnets not containing rare earths or yttrium.