Synthesis of high magnetization FeCo alloys prepared by a modified polyol process

High magnetization, soft ferromagnetic FeCo alloy nanoparticles were synthesized at various Fe to Co ratios using a modified polyol process. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that Fe-rich particles had a cubic shape with a mean particle size of 100 nm, while Co-rich particles had a spherical shape. A maximum saturation magnetization of 212 emu/g was recorded for both Fe60Co40 and Fe75Co25 particles. X-ray diffraction scans at room temperatureof synthesized particles were characteristic of body-centered-cubic single-phase FeCo. Variabletemperature x-ray diffraction scans under N2 gas revealed an order–disorder transition at 600 °C and a transition to a face-centered-cubic crystal structure at 1000 °C.