An iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder has a narrow particle size distribution a small content of fine particles that do not contribute to magnetic recording characteristics, and a narrow coercive force distribution, to enhance magnetic recording medium density. Neutralizing an aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion and an ion of the metal substituting a part of the Fe sites by adding an alkali to make pH of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, adding a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and further neutralizing by adding an alkali to make pH of 8.0 or more and 9.0 or less are performed at 5° C. or more and 25° C. or less. A formed iron oxyhydroxide precipitate containing the substituting metal element is rinsed with water, then coated with silicon oxide, and then heated thereby providing e-type iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder. The rinsed precipitate may be subjected to a hydrothermal treatment.

An iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder has a narrow particle size distribution a small content of fine particles that do not contribute to magnetic recording characteristics, and a narrow coercive force distribution, to enhance magnetic recording medium density. Neutralizing an aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion and an ion of the metal substituting a part of the Fe sites by adding an alkali to make pH of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, adding a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and further neutralizing by adding an alkali to make pH of 8.0 or more and 9.0 or less are performed at 5° C. or more and 25° C. or less. A formed iron oxyhydroxide precipitate containing the substituting metal element is rinsed with water, then coated with silicon oxide, and then heated thereby providing e-type iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder. The rinsed precipitate may be subjected to a hydrothermal treatment.

A magnetic recording medium is a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium that has a recording layer including an ε-iron oxide particle. An area ratio R.sub.low (=(S.sub.low/S.sub.total)×100) of a total area S.sub.total of an SFD curve of the recording layer in a perpendicular direction and an area S.sub.low of the SFD curve in which a coercivity Hc is in a range from −500 [Oe]≤Hc≤500 [Oe] is equal to or less than 5.5%.

A method of producing a magnetic powder includes: performing heat treatment on first particles that contain triiron tetraoxide to prepare second particles that contain ε-iron oxide.

A method of producing a magnetic powder includes: performing heat treatment on first particles that contain triiron tetraoxide to prepare second particles that contain ε-iron oxide.

A hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder is significantly more useful for achieving simultaneously both the enhancement of the recording density and the enhancement of the SNR of a magnetic recording medium. The hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder contains Bi at a Bi/Fe molar ratio in a range of 0.035 or less, has a saturation magnetization σs of 42.0 Am.sup.2/kg or more and a Dx volume calculated based on the crystallite diameters of 1,800 nm.sup.3 or less. A method for producing hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder includes a step of performing a treatment of immersing hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder containing Bi in a solution having dissolved therein a compound X that forms a complex with Bi, so as to elute a part of Bi existing in the hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder into the solution.

A method for producing a magnetic powder includes performing a reduction treatment on the surface of particles including a hard magnetic material to form core-shell particles each having a shell portion including a soft magnetic material.

A method for producing a magnetic powder includes performing a reduction treatment on the surface of particles including a hard magnetic material to form core-shell particles each having a shell portion including a soft magnetic material.

An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic powder having a narrow particle size distribution of epsilon-type iron oxide particles, and another object is to provide magnetic powder suitable for magnetic recording medium by improving particle size distribution, and provide epsilon-type iron oxide magnetic particles and related technologies in which a number average particle diameter of major diameters (D.sub.50) is 10 to 20 nm, a 90% cumulative particle diameter (D.sub.90) is 30 nm or less, and a geometric standard deviation (σ.sub.g) of major diameters is 1.45 or less, which are obtained by TEM observation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic powder having a narrow particle size distribution of epsilon-type iron oxide particles, and another object is to provide magnetic powder suitable for magnetic recording medium by improving particle size distribution, and provide epsilon-type iron oxide magnetic particles and related technologies in which a number average particle diameter of major diameters (D.sub.50) is 10 to 20 nm, a 90% cumulative particle diameter (D.sub.90) is 30 nm or less, and a geometric standard deviation (σ.sub.g) of major diameters is 1.45 or less, which are obtained by TEM observation.