Effects of pH value and Sintering Temperature on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Barium Hexaferrites Prepared by Co-Precipitation

Barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19; M-type; BaM) is an important, cost effective magnetic material for permanent magnet applications. The magnetic properties of the prepared samples, and the purity of the BaM phase depend critically on the synthesis route and experimental conditions. In this study, BaM hexaferrites were prepared by co-precipitation method using two different values of pH for the precursor solutions (11.0 and 12.5), and sintering pellets of the co-precipitates at 860, 920 and 990°C.The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the samples prepared with pH = 12.5 consisted of a single BaM phase at all sintering temperatures. However, the patterns of the samples withpH = 11.0 did not reveal the existence of BaM at 860°C, whereasa major BaM phase(86 – 87 wt.%) was observed at 920 and 990°C with a minor α-Fe2O3 phase. The thermo magnetic curves confirmed the BaM magnetic phase in the samples. The hysteresis loops of the BaM samples showed characteristics of hard magnetic materials with relatively high saturation magnetization. Analysis of the magnetic data indicated an intrinsic coercivity Hci~ 5 kOe for all samples, and a saturation specific magnetization in the rangeσs = 56.0 – 66.3 emu/g, which are suitable for permanent magnet applications. The practical coercivity (HcB), residual induction (Br) and maximum energy product (BH)max of the samples with pH = 12.5 are higher than those of the samples with pH = 11.0, and the highest magnetic parameters of HcB = 1871 Oe, Br = 2384 G, and (BH)max = 8.92 kJ/m3 were observed for the sample with pH = 12.5 and sintered at 860°C.