Structural and Elastic Behavior of Chromium Doped Pr_0.5Sr_0.5MnO₃System

A series of colossal magneto resistance (CMR) materials with compositional formula Pr0.5Sr0.5Mn1-xCrxO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) were prepared by sol-gel technique using pure metal nitrates as the starting materials. These samples were characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction, FTIR and SEM. All the samples exhibit orthorhombic structure without any detectable impurities. The bulk densities for all the compositions were measured from the pellets. The Young’s and Rigidity moduli, Poisson’s ratio and Debye temperature of all the compositions were calculated with the experimentally measured ultrasonic longitudinal and shear velocities at room temperature using pulse transmission technique. As the materials are porous, zero porous elastic moduli have also been calculated using a well-known Hasselmann and Fulrath model. The observed variation of elastic moduli with varying chromium doping concentration has been studied qualitatively.