Characterization of Electro-Spun Nanofibers Containing Nd2fe14b Ferromagnetic Alloy Nanoparticles: A Promising Potential for the Synthesis of New Magnetic Nanocomposites Publisher



Mehrifar Y¹ ; Moqtaderi H² ; Golbabaei F³ ; Hamidi SM⁴ ; Hasanzadeh M⁵ ; Dehghan SF^{6, 7}
Source: Journal of Alloys and Compounds Published:2024

Abstract

In recent years, ferromagnetic nanoparticles have significantly improved due to their exceptional properties and compatibility with emerging technologies. This study aims to fabricate a nanocomposite based on polyacrylonitrile(PAN) nanofibers and neodymium iron boron(Nd2Fe14B) ferromagnetic nanoparticles. Using ethanol, Nd2Fe14B magnetic powder was first transformed into nanoparticles via a wet ball milling(WBM) process. The PAN nanofiber polymer matrix and the magnetic nanoparticles were prepared using the electrospinning technique. The samples were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometry(VSM). The particles before and after the WBM process changed from a plate-like shape with a large diameter to a spherical shape with a smaller diameter. A comparison between PAN nanofibers and nanocomposite showed that the diameter of the PAN nanofibers decreased after the addition of nanoparticles under the same operational conditions. Magnetic hysteresis loops indicated ferromagnetic characteristics for the fabricated nanocomposite. The magnetic nanoparticles' lowest and highest weight loss occurred at temperatures below 150°C and above 400°C, respectively. Also, the structure of nanoparticles was crystalline and tetragonal. The peaks appearing at specific wavelengths for the PAN layer and Nd2Fe14B nanoparticles correspond to the stretching and bending vibrations of the C[dbnd]O and N-H groups and stretching vibrations of the Nd-Fe, Fe-B, and Nd-B bonds, respectively. The results of this research indicate that the synthesized nanocomposite exhibits promising potential for utilization in diverse disciplines, such as magnetic data storage, sensors, and biomedicine, owing to its improved magnetic attributes and distinctive structural features. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.