Low temperature preparation of β-LiFe₅O₈ fine particles by hydrothermal ball milling

Lithium ferrite, β-LiFe₅O₈, fine particles with a 100-120 nm size were successfully prepared by hydrothermal ball milng at the low temperature of 170 °C for 2 h without any post annealing. The lithium ferrite fine particle formation was confirmed by characterization using XRD, SEM, XPS and magnetization measurements. The experimental results strongly support the idea that ball milling can accelerate the reaction not only between the solid and solid phases but also between the solid and liquid phases. We believe hydrothermal ball milling can open a new era for the low temperature synthesis and fabrication of homogeneous fine particles both in composition and size.