Recycled toner‑based Ni–Zn ferrites for microstrip patch antenna applications: structural, magnetic, and electromagnetic properties analysis

Nurul Ainaa Najihah, Busra and Rodziah, Nazlan and Qhairulzaman, Zainal and Farah Nabilah, Shafiee and Idza Riati, Ibrahim and Ros Azlinawati, Ramli and Mohamad Ashry, Jusoh (2025) Recycled toner‑based Ni–Zn ferrites for microstrip patch antenna applications: structural, magnetic, and electromagnetic properties analysis. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 36 (2116). pp. 1-19. ISSN 1573-482X

PDF Recycled toner-based Ni-Zn ferrites.pdf Download (683kB)

Abstract

This work demonstrates the synthesis of nickel-zinc ferrites from printer toner waste (WNZF) as a radiating patch in microstrip patch antennas (MPAs). The printer toner waste, which consists of magnetite, was recycled and converted to hematite via the oxidation-reduction process, whereby the extracted hematite was used in fabricating WNZF by employing the high-energy ball milling process with subsequent sintering. The XRD analysis confirmed the successful extraction of hematite from magnetite, as evidenced by the appearance of characteristic hematite peaks. This finding was further supported by thermal analysis from DSC, which indicated that the phase transformation from magnetite to hematite began at approximately 384.7 °C. Sintering from 800 to 1200 °C of the synthesized WNZF significantly enhanced saturation magnetization from 23.11 to 36.17 emu/g and reduced coercivity and remanence, indicating soft ferrimagnetic behaviour favourable for high-frequency applications. A return loss of -15.154 dB at a resonant frequency of 2.37 GHz demonstrates excellent impedance matching and confirms its suitability for S-band MPA applications. This is attributed to microstructural evolution, where higher sintering temperatures promote grain growth and improved crystallinity, resulting in improved superexchange interactions between magnetic domains. Optimizing sintering temperature improves MPA performance by controlling grain size and domain structure, balancing permeability and resonant frequency of the MPA. This demonstrates the feasibility of e-waste-derived ferrites achieving magnetic and electromagnetic properties comparable to conventional ferrite-based MPAs, providing both environmental and technological benefits for sustainable wireless antenna systems. This is the first demonstration of recycled toner-derived hematite applied to Ni-Zn ferrites for S-band MPAs.

Actions (For repository members only: login required)

View Item