Magnetic properties of iron-polyethylene nanocomposites prepared by high energy ball milling

Metal-polymer nanocomposites in the system iron-polyethylene have been prepared by high energy ball milling. Minimum average grain size obtained is of the order of 9 nm. Enhanced coercivity of 230 Oe at room temperature and 510 Oe at 5 K have been obtained for the sample containing 0.1 volume fraction of iron in polyethylene after milling for 200 h. This high value of the coercivity could be ascribed to the presence of a fraction of single-domain particles in the sample as evidenced from the thermal dependence of the magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.