Synthesis and characterization of BaFe12O19-WC catalysts prepared by mechanical milling

Abstract Among the magnetic catalysts, barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) stands out, mainly due to its capacity to absorb light in the whole visible light range, its magnetic properties, and chemical stability. In this work, the synthesis of mesoporous barium hexaferrite was performed by the chemical co-precipitation method. Then BaFe12O19 particles were subsequently mixed with 1%, 3%, and 5% of tungsten carbide (WC) particles in order to enhance its properties for visible light catalysis. WC powders were prepared by high energy ball milling (HEBM), and its crystallite size was estimated over time from X-ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements. The particle size of the milled WC powders was analyzed using a Laser diffraction analyzer. Besides, Ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy was performed to study the light absorption properties of the mixture. In addition, the specific surface area of the samples was measured with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Surface Analyzer. Finally, the size and morphology of BaFe12O19-WC mixtures were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In accordance with the specific surface area measurements, a considerable area increasing up to 13% was observed for the BaFe12O19-WC (5%) sample in comparison to the pure BaFe12O19. On the other hand, the addition of the WC particles slightly increased the bandgap energy by 1.6% in comparison to the pure BaFe12O19. The results indicate that by the incorporation of WC additive, by this simple and inexpensive method, the surface area of the BaFe12O19 can be modified to enhance its properties for its use in visible light catalysis applications.