Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol.156, 2020 (SCI-Expanded)
K X-ray emission spectra of Zn, Mn and mixed (Zn-Mn, Zn- Co, Zn-Ni) spinel ferrites have been acquired by inducing 59.54 keV and 22.1 keV γ-rays emitted from 3 Ci 241Am annular source and 40 mCi 109Cd point source with a HPGe detector. Some vital parameters for XRF, Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values, asymmetry index (As), peak energies and chemical shifts (ΔE), were defined depending on the alloying effect by working on the spectra. The obtained results exhibited that, compared to the pure states of the metals, chemical shifts aroused due to different crystal structure, valence electron structure, bond type and length in the spectrum of the alloy form. The difference of the electronegativity of the metals forming the ferrite obviously explained the change in the Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios. It has been concluded that the charge transfer mechanism predominates mainly and altered the intensity ratios of the metal by affecting the rearrangement of the 3d electrons in the valence band.