Magnetic Properties of Cubanite (CuFe₂S₃)

Abstract

A study has been made of the magnetic properties of cubanite (CuFe₂S₃). It was found that the saturation magnetization of orthorhombic cubanite at room temperature was 0.87emu/gram. An irreversible change revealed in a thermomagnetic curve at about 270°C was identified as a polymorphic transition from an orthorhombic to a cubic structure by X-ray analyses, chemical analysis and microscopic observation. It is further suggested from the result on differential thermal analysis that the polymorphic transition is of an order-disorder type, which results in a marked decrease of the magnetization at this temperature.