Improved coercivity of W- and M-type composite hexaferrites using two different synthesis routes

Abstract

Two series of W- and M-type composite hexaferrites were synthetized using the conventional ceramic method in two different synthesis routes. In the first synthesis route, W- and M-type composite hexaferrites were formed by reaction in the pre-sintering stage. In the second synthesis route, W- and M-type composite hexaferrites were obtained by physically mixing W- and M-type hexaferrites in the second ball milling stage. The influence of M-type phase on the structure and magnetic properties of W-type hexaferrites synthesized in both synthesis routes are investigated in detail. For both synthesis routes, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of all samples indicated crystallization of W- and M-type hexaferrites phase and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements revealed hexagonal platelet-like grains. In the pre-sintering stage, the saturation magnetization (4πMs) of all samples ranged between 3.30 kG and 4.25 kG. The remanence ratio (Mr/Ms) changed from 0.77 to 0.88 with the increase of pre-sintering temperature. The coercivity (Hc) of all samples ranged between 456 Oe and 1846 Oe. The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth (ΔH) ranged between 466 Oe and 748 Oe. In the second ball milling stage, 4πMs and Mr/Ms maintained a relatively stable value of ~4.5 kG and ~0.89, respectively. Hc increased from 519 Oe to 620 Oe with the increase of M-type hexaferrites. ΔH ranged between 317 Oe and 573 Oe. We note that in both synthesis routes only the composite hexaferrites synthesized in the pre-sintering stage have a significantly improved coercivity from 456 Oe to 1846 Oe. This enhancement in coercivity is attributed mainly to the effect of exchange coupling among ferrite grains. In addition, the ΔH decreases with the addition of M-type hexaferrites.