Soft mechanochemical synthesis of MgFe2O4 nanoparticles from the mixture of α-Fe2O3 with Mg(OH)2 and Fe(OH)3 with Mg(OH)2

Abstract

The influence of long term soft milling of a mixture of (1) Mg(OH)2 and α-Fe2O3 and (2) Mg(OH)2 and Fe(OH)3 powders in a planetary ball mill on the reaction synthesis of nanosized MgFe2O4 ferrites was studied. Soft mechanochemical reaction leading to formation of the MgFe2O4 spinel phase was followed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and magnetisation measurements. The spinel phase formation was first observed after 5 h of milling and its formation was completed after 15 h in case (2). The synthesised MgFe2O4 ferrite had a nanocrystalline structure with a crystallite size of about 10 and 15 nm respectively for cases (1) and (2). Measurements after 15 h of milling show magnetisation values of 15·23 and 10·14 J T–1 kg–1 respectively for cases (1) and (2).