Ti compound coating of carbonyl iron particles with controlled surface conditions using a peroxotitanium acid solution for stable magnetic particles

The surface coating of carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) deposited under various surface conditions was examined using a peroxotitanium acid (PTA) solution including H2O2 to obtain highly stable magnetic particles. Upon adsorption on the CIP surfaces, peroxotitanium complexes dehydrated and transformed into TiO2 with hydroxides (TiO2–OH), and the coating morphology significantly changed depending on the surface conditions of the CIPs. The volatile surface impurities that remained on raw CIPs inhibited the adsorption of the complexes, leading to insufficient coating. As oxidation treatment using a boric acid aqueous solution was performed to examine the effects of surface oxides on the coating, the treatment increased the oxide layer thickness and specific surface area of the raw CIPs. During the coating of oxidized CIPs, active surfaces were dissolved in a PTA solution, and γ-FeOOH plate particles were redeposited on the particle surfaces because H2O2 remaining in the PTA solution initially oxidized the active surfaces and then depleted. The results indicated that the treatment with the PTA solution was not suitable for oxidized CIPs with increased specific surface area. A simple dry treatment under vacuum conditions decreased surface impurities on raw CIPs without increasing their specific surface area; consequently, their surfaces were uniformly and sufficiently coated with TiO2–OH. The uniform surface coating decreased the saturation magnetization of the CIPs by only 0.98% and improved their oxidation onset temperature from 369.8oC to 437.1oC, making them suitable for practical use.