Hard ferrite magnets are manufactured from iron
oxide and either barium carbonate or strontium carbonate.
The raw materials are mixed in the correct
proportions, granulated, and calcined (presintered).
After going through several intermediate phases, a
hexaferrite phase (BaFe12O19 or SrFe12O19) is achieved.
The presintered granulate is ground to a powder. It
can then be pressed wet or dry in a magnetic field
(anisotropic) or in the absence of a magnetic field
(isotropic) and sintered. Hard ferrites are ceramic
materials, with the mechanical hardness and brittleness
typical of ceramics. A typical way of processing
them is by grinding with diamond discs.