Preparation of nanocrystalline cobalt powders by a γ-irradiation method

Abstract

Nanocrystalline cobalt powders, consisting of a pure hexagonal phase, and a hexagonal phase mixed with a small amount of a cubic phase, have been prepared from aqueous solutions at ambient temperature and pressure by a γ-irradiation method. The influence of the experimental conditions on the composition, the average particle size and the yield of nanocrystalline cobalt powders has been studied in detail. X-Ray powder diffraction patterns show the smallest average particle size of the nanocrystalline cobalt powders to be 14 nm.