Preparation of ferromagnetic binary alloy fine fibers by organic gel-thermal reduction process

Ferromagnetic metal fibers with a high aspect ratio (length/diameter) are attractive for use as high performance electromagnetic interference shielding materials. Ferromagnetic binary alloy fine fibers of iron-nickel, iron-cobalt and cobalt-nickel were prepared by the organic gel-thermal reduction process from the raw materials of critic acid and metal salts. These alloy fibers synthesized were featured with a diameter of about 1 um and a length as long as 1 m. The structure, thermal decomposition process and morphologies of the gel precursors and fibers derived from thermal reduction of the gel precursors were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TG/DSC and SEM. The gel spinnability largely depends on the molecular structure of metal-carboxylates formed during the gel formation. The gel consisting of linear-type structural molecules shows good spinnability.