A facile hydrothermal synthesis of nanoscale CuFe^sub 2^O^sub 4^ spinels with enhanced infrared radiation performance

Nanoscale CuFe2O4 spinels were successfully prepared by a facile solvothermal method. The structural, morphological, optical and emissivity properties have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy and IR-2 dual band emissivity measurement instrument. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the impurity CuFe2O4 powders generated at 600-1000 °C, while the temperature was added to 1100 °C, the pure CuFe2O4 powders were acquisited. UV-vis-NIR absorption spectra showed that the average absorptivity of CuFe2O4 powders increases with the calcination temperature, while the optical energy band gap of CuFe2O4 powders reduced with the calcination temperature. The highest infrared emission value ca. 0.965 was obtained when the test temperature was conducted at 800 °C, which make it as a good candidate in infrared heating, infrared coating and drying fields.