Effect of thermal history on Mossbauer signature and hyperfine interaction parameters of copper ferrite
Two specimens of copper ferrite, CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}, have been synthesized by double sintering ceramic technique with different thermal history i.e. slow cooled and quenched. X-ray diffractometry has confirmed single phase fcc spinel structure for slow cooled sample while tetragonal distortion is present in quenched sample. Mossbauer spectral analysis for slow-cooled copper ferrite reveals super position of two Zeeman split sextets along with paramagnetic singlet in the centre position corresponds to delafossite (CuFeO{sub 2}) phase that is completely absent in quenched sample. The hyperfine interaction parameters are highly influenced by heat treatment employed.