Abstract: Iron oxyhydroxide particles that are composed of acicular particles having an average major axis of 0.01 to 0.5 &mgr;m and containing not less than 0.1 wt. % and not more than 30 wt. % of Al in the iron oxyhydroxide and that release not less than 0.1 wt. % and not more than 2 wt. % of H2O at 100° C. are used as particles of a lower layer of a coating type magnetic recording medium having a multi-layer structure. The acicular particles include ones having two or more branches whose branching direction is skewed toward a two-dimensional orientation.

Abstract: Iron oxyhydroxide particles that are composed of acicular particles having an average major axis of 0.01 to 0.5 .mu.m and containing not less than 0.1 wt. % and not more than 30 wt. % of Al in the iron oxyhydroxide and that release not less than 0.1 wt. % and not more than 2 wt. % of H.sub.2 O at 100.degree. C. are used as particles of a lower layer of a coating type magnetic recording medium having a multi-layer structure. The acicular particles include ones having two or more branches whose branching direction is skewed toward a two-dimensional orientation.

Abstract: A coating type magnetic recording medium having a multilayer structure exhibits excellent strength, surface smoothness, and weather resistance is formed on a substrate, and comprises a magnetic layer of magnetic particles dispersed in a resinous binder, and a non-magnetic layer of non-magnetic particles dispersed in a resinous binder. The magnetic particles are composed of acicular ferromagnetic metal particles of Fe containing Co, Al, rare earth elements, periodic table group 1a and 2a elements. The non-magnetic particles are composed of acicular particles of .alpha.-FeOOH.