Chemical route synthesis of nanostructured BaFe₁₂O₁₉ for microwave absorption application Available to Purchase

The synthesis of M-type barium hexaferrite (BaM) has been achieved through a chemical route employing barium nitrate and ferric nitrate as initial reactants while utilising citric acid as a fuel. X-ray diffraction confirms the polycrystalline nature of BaM nanoparticles (NPs) with a hexagonal structure in the P6₃/mmc space group. The bending and stretching vibrations of metal–oxygen bonds are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used for the morphological and compositional analyses. BaM NPs are embedded in an epoxy matrix, chosen for its excellent thermal, chemical, and physical properties, to fabricate an absorber for assessing microwave absorption (MA) performance. This study provides detailed insights into the structural, morphological, and compositional properties of BaM NPs for enhanced MA performance in the X-band region. The permittivity, permeability, and reflection loss of BaM₁–BaM₃ samples were analysed, revealing superior MA performance in the BaM₃ nanocomposite compared with BaM₁ and BaM₂. Increasing the BaM NP concentration in the epoxy matrix from 10% to 30% elevates $ε′′$ and $μ′′$ values, boosting dielectric and magnetic losses due to enhanced interfacial and dipolar relaxation. This high magneto-dielectric loss in the BaM₃ nanocomposite significantly improves MA performance.