Optimized nanocrystalline strontium hexaferrite prepared by applying a methane GTR process on a conventionally synthesized powder

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 368; pp. 234 - 239
• Main Authors: Dehghan, R., Seyyed Ebrahimi, S.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Coercive force; Coercivity; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Crystallites; Dynamic gas heat treatment and re-calcination; Exact sciences and technology; Heat treatment; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of nanostructures; Methane; Morphology; Nanocrystals; Physics; Resultants; Strontium; Strontium hexaferrite; Methane; Strontium hexaferrite; Dynamic gas heat treatment and re-calcination; Particle size; Hexagonal ferrites; Phase composition; Calcination; Magnetic hysteresis; Heat treatments; Optimization; Transmission electron microscopy; Iron Strontium Oxides Mixed; Microstructure; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2014.05.031

Optimization of the effective re-calcination parameters in a gaseous heat treatment and re-calcination (GTR) process for producing nanocrystalline Sr-hexaferrite powder using CH4 has been investigated for the first time in this research. The initial Sr-hexaferrite powder was prepared by a conventional route with calcination of the mixture of SrCO3 and α-Fe2O3 at 1100°C for 1h. Then the resultant powder was isothermally heat treated in CH4 dynamic atmosphere at 950°C with a gas flow of 15cc/min for 30min. Finally the resultant powder was re-calcined at various temperatures for different times. The rate of heating and cooling was 10°C/min. Due to the gas heat treatment, the hard magnetic nature of the material changed from hard to soft with changes in the phase composition, particle size and morphology. In the second step of the process, the soft magnetic nature of the intermediate material returned from soft to hard again by re-calcination. However, the resultant nanocrystalline Sr-hexaferrite powder had a higher coercivity compared to that of the initial powder. The results showed significant changes in morphology and crystallite size of the initial powder during re-calcination process which made a great increase of about 17% in its coercivity. The crystallite size of the resultant Sr-hexaferrite was measured lower than 50nm. •Optimized re-calcination in GTR using CH4 has been investigated for the first time.•The results showed a great increase of 17% in initial powder coercivity.•The crystallite size of the resultant Sr-hexaferrite was lower than 50nm.•Applying this process can make it suitable for a wide range of magnetic properties.