Strontium hexaferrite powders were successfully synthesized by a microwave-induced combustion process. The process only took a few minutes to obtain calcined strontium hexaferrite powders. The resultant powders were investigated by XRD, TEM, VSM, TG/DTA, and surface area measurement. The as-received product shows strontium ferrite with a saturation magnetization (M-N) of approximate to38 emu/g and an intrinsic coercive force (H-i(c)) of 525 Oe, whereas, upon annealing at 1000 degreesC for 2 h, the saturation magnetization increases to 62 emu/g and the intrinsic coercive force reaches 1950 Oe. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.