Magnetic recording medium utilizing specified non-magnetic particles in the magnetic layer

1. A magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic support, a non-magnetic layer and a magnetic layer having a thickness of from 1 nm to 200 nm,

wherein the non-magnetic layer comprises a binder and a thermally curable crosslinking agent,

wherein the magnetic layer forms the outermost layer of the magnetic recording medium and comprises a ferromagnetic powder, a binder and at least one plate-form non-magnetic inorganic powder,

wherein at least 95% of the non-magnetic powder particles including primary and secondary particles, which are contained in the magnetic layer, have a particle size of 0.05 to 0.13 μm, and an acicular ratio of 1.5 or less, provided that the non-magnetic powder particles are those found in a field of view of 1.8 μm×2.4 μm when the surface of the magnetic layer is observed with a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 50,000 times and wherein the acicular ratio is the ratio of the major axis length to the shortest particle size among the line segments, which intersect the center point of the major axis length.

2. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein said non-magnetic powder contained in the magnetic layer is single crystal alumina.

3. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1 , said non-magnetic layer comprising a non-magnetic inorganic powder, a binder and a fatty acid.

4. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1 , which is a magnetic tape for data-backup.