Preparation and characterization of NiFe bimetallic micro-particles and its composite with silica shell

Magnetic NiFe particles were synthesized through hydrothermal method using hydrazine as reductant. Composite particles with core-shell structure were further achieved by depositing silicon dioxide generated via carbonation decomposition of sodium silicate solution on the surface of magnetic cores. Characterized by XRD, the Ni₉Fe particles are of fcc-type structure, and the structure of magnetic cores in composite particles was maintained despite being covered by SiO₂ shell. The existence of SiO₂ shells in the composite particles were demonstrated by SEM, EDS and IR. The results from TG and VSM indicated that the shell structure affected the physiochemical properties. The composite particles exhibited remarkable resistance to oxidation in comparison with Ni₉Fe particles due to being protected by SiO₂ shell. Meanwhile, both of them are soft magnetic materials, but Ms, Mr and Hc in Ni₉email protected]₂ particle decreased compared with magnetic NiFe particles. The formation mechanisms of Ni₉Fe micro-particles and composite Ni₉Fe particles were discussed.