Crystallographic alignment evolution and magnetic properties of anisotropic Sm 0.6 Pr 0.4 Co 5 nanoflakes prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling

Abstract The microstructure, crystal structure and magnetic properties were studied for Sm 0.6 Pr 0.4 Co 5 nanoflakes prepared by surfactant-assisted high-energy ball milling (SAHEBM). Effect of ball-milling time on the c -axis crystallographic alignment, morphology and magnetic properties of Sm 0.6 Pr 0.4 Co 5 nanoflakes was systematically investigated. With increasing milling time from 1 h to 7 h, the intensity ratio between (002) and (111) reflection peaks indicating degree of c -axis crystal texture of the (Sm, Pr)Co 5 phase increases first, peaks at 3 h, then drops again, revealing that the strongest c -axis crystal texture was obtained in the nanoflakes milled for 3 h. On the other hand, the coercivity ( H ci ) of the flakes increases gradually from 1.71 to 14.65 kOe with the increase of ball milling time. As a result, an optimal magnetic properties of M r of 10.23 kGs, H ci of 11.45 kOe and (BH) max of 24.40 MGOe was obtained in Sm 0.6 Pr 0.4 Co 5 nanoflakes milled for 3 h, which also displayed a high aspect ratio, small in-plane size, pronounced (001) out-of-plane texture.