Abstract

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe<inf>2</inf>O<inf>4</inf>) is a soft magnetic material that can be used as fillers in polypropylene. This magnetic polymer composite is studied for its electromagnetic wave absorbing property. To synthesize CoFe<inf>2</inf>O<inf>4</inf> by the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sol-gel method, PVA powder was dissolve in distilled water with 5%, 10% and 15% weight per volume. The solution was stirred and regulated at temperature between 60-80°C until turning into PVA gel. Fe and Co powder of atomic ratio 2:1 were then added to the PVA gel with the metal weight per gel volume 1:6, 1:10 and 1: 12. After sintering at 800°C, phases of the synthesized powder were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Magnetic properties of CoFe<inf>2</inf>O<inf>4</inf> were characterized in order to select the appropriate synthesis condition for electromagnetic wave absorbers. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.