Magnetite nanoparticles prepared by the glass crystallization method and their physical properties

Glass melts in the system Fe2O3/FeO/CaO/Na2O/B2O3 were prepared from the raw materials, by firstly reducing them by flushing with nitrogen and subsequently roller quenching. The flakes obtained had a thickness of around 150 μm and were thermally treated at temperatures in the range from 550 to 620 °C. X-ray diffraction gave evidence of the occurrence of nanocrystalline magnetite. Magnetization measurements at room temperature show ferromagnetic behaviour and no hysteresis. Temperature-dependent measurements showed a monotonic decrease of the saturation magnetization with temperature, and a Curie temperature of 553 °C. The primary mean particle core diameter is around 10 nm after annealing at 570 °C.