A facile way to realize exchange coupling interaction in hard/soft magnetic composites

•SrM/CFO and SrM/Fe–B with exchange coupling were obtained via a grinding way.•Different grinding time affects their magnetic properties slightly.•The conditions of realizing exchange coupling may not be so stringent.

SrFe12O19/CoFe2O4 and SrFe12O19/Fe–B hard/soft magnetic composites were obtained by using powders synthesized via a hydrothermal and a molten salt method, respectively. The exchange coupling interaction was found to exist in the composites after a facile grinding according to the results of magnetic hysteresis loops and irreversible sloping recoil loops. It can be found that different grinding time affects their magnetic properties slightly. Our study proves that the conditions of realizing exchange coupling interaction may not be so stringent.