Ceramic materials prepared from nanocrystalline InFeZnO$_4$ powder: optical and mechanical properties, and evaluation of radiation tolerance

A method for low-temperature synthesis of InFeZnO$_4$ oxide from an X-ray amorphous precursor formed as a result of the thermal decomposition of dehydration product of a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and iron, indium, and zinc nitrate solutions has been developed. Using TG/DSC and XRD, the InFeZnO$_4$ phase has been shown to be formed in the temperature range of 370–420$^\circ$C. Using the XRD method, after the heat treatment of the precursor at 800$^\circ$C for 4 hours, nanocrystalline InFeZnO$_4$ with an average particle size (CSR) of $\approx$36 nm has been found to be formed. According to SEM, they do not have a clear facet and form a homogeneous cellular microstructure of the powder. The absence of organic residues and moisture in it has been confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. From the DRS data, it has been found that the band gap energy Eg of InFeZnO$_4$ for the cases of indirect and direct transitions is 1.54 eV and 2.25 eV, respectively. Ceramics produced from nanocrystalline InFeZnO$_4$ by high-temperature sintering have a density equal to 5160 kg/m$^3$ ($\approx$86% of the theoretical one). Their microhardness, measured by the Vickers method, is 2.12 GPa. The radiation resistance of InFeZnO$_4$ has been predicted, from which it follows that, when exposed to intermediate and high doses of ionizing radiation, its partial amorphization is the most likely.