Magnetic Co2Y ferrite, Ba2Co2Fe12O22 fibres produced by a blow spun process

Gel fibres of Co2Y, Ba2Co2Fe12O22, were blow spun from an aqueous inorganic sol and calcined at temperatures of up to 1200°C. The ceramic fibres were shown by X-ray diffraction to form crystalline Co2Y at 1000°C, and surface area and porosity measurements indicated an unusually high degree of sintering at this temperature. The fibres also demonstrated a small grain size of 1-3 μm across the hexagonal plane and 0.1-0.3 μm thickness at 1000°C. This only increased to 3 μm in diameter and 1 μm thickness even at temperature up to 1200°C. The fibrous nature combined with the improved microstructures could be an important factor in improving the magnetic properties of this material.