Chemical Substitution-An Alternative Strategy for Controlling the Particle Size of Barium Ferrite

Barium ferrite nanoplates with the nominal composition BaFe12-xMxO19, where M = Sc, In, or Cr and x = 0-0.5, were hydrotherinally synthesized at 160 and 240 degrees C. The incorporation of the substituent ions into the barium ferrite particles was confirmed with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effects of the temperature, the substituent ion, and the degree of the substitution on the final particle size and its distribution were studied with transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic properties of the synthesized particles were affected much more significantly by the particle size than by their chemical composition.