Fan texture of the compound Ba₃Co₂Fe₂₄O₄₁ prealigned in a magnetic field

Samples of the ferrimagnetic material Ba₃Co₂Fe₂₄O₄₁, pre-aligned in a magnetic field and sintered at various temperatures, have been examined for preferred orientation. Schulz's reflection technique and the standardizing method of Holland were used to determine quantitative pole figures of several lattice planes. The texture bears a close resemblance to a `fan texture' in which the crystallites have their basal planes parallel to a preferred direction. The sharpness of the texture increases with increasing sintering temperature. At 1320°C an exaggerated grain growth takes place. Inhomogeneity of the magnetic field throughout the sample results in local differences in orientation.