Improving magnetic properties of barium hexaferrites by La or Pr substitution

La or Pr substituted barium hexaferrites, Ba1−x(La or Pr)xFe12O19, x=0.00–0.20, were successfully prepared by a citrate combustion process. The sintered bodies were structurally and magnetically studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). All XRD patterns show the single phase of the magnetoplumbite barium ferrite without other intermediate phases. Magnetization (MS) and coercive field (HC) could be improved by substitutions of La or Pr ions on Ba ion basis sites. The MS reveal magnetic behavior with respect to La or Pr ions content, showing an increase at first and then a decrease. The HC increases remarkably with increasing La or Pr ions content.