Synthesis and magnetic properties of single-crystalline BaFe12O19 nanoparticles

Rod-like and platelet-like nanoparticles of simple-crystalline barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) have been synthesized by the molten salt method. Both particle size and morphology change with the reaction temperature and time. The easy magnetization direction (0 0 l) of the BaFe12O19 nanoparticles has been observed directly by performing X-ray diffraction on powders aligned at 0.5 T magnetic field. The magnetic properties of the BaFe12O19 magnet were investigated with various sintering temperatures. The maximum values of saturation magnetization (σs=65.8 emu/g), remanent magnetization (σr=56 emu/g) and coercivity field (Hic=5251 Oe) of the aligned samples occurred at the sintering temperatures of 1100 deg. C. These results indicate that BaFe12O19 nanoparticles synthesized by the molten salt method should enable detailed investigation of the size-dependent evolution of magnetism, microwave absorption, and realization of a nanodevice of magnetic media.