Preparation of magnesium ferrite nanoparticles by ultrasonic wave-assisted aqueous solution ball milling

•MgFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained by a ultrasonic wave-assisted ball milling.•MgFe2O4 nanoparticles obtained by this approach have high saturated magnetization.•The effect of ultrasonic wave frequency on the milling process was investigated.

Magnesium ferrite, MgFe2O4 nanoparticles with high saturation magnetization were successfully synthesized using ultrasonic wave-assisted ball milling. In this study, the raw materials were 4MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·5H2O and Fe2O3 powders and the grinding media was stainless steel ball. The average particle diameter of the product MgFe2O4 powders was 20 nm and the saturation magnetization of them reached 54.8 emu/g. The different results of aqueous solution ball milling with and without ultrasonic wave revealed that it was the coupling effect of ultrasonic wave and mechanical force that played an important role during the synthesis of MgFe2O4. In addition, the effect of the frequency of the ultrasonic wave on the ball milling process was investigated.