Study on Key Techniques for Producing High Performance NdFeB Sintered Permanent Magnets

High energy products (BH) max of 365 and 310 kJ·m -3 with intrinsic coercivity iH c of 1640 kA·m -1 of NdFeB sintered magnets were produced. Some new techniques were applied, such as thin NdFeB ingot technique, narrow particle distribution on jet mill, low oxygen content control and high aligned magnetic field press. It is necessary to produce thin NdFeB ingot with fine flake crystal, narrow particle distribution, the average size of NdFeB powders less than 4.0 μm, uniform microstructure, high oriented Nd 2Fe 14B small grains, and finally high performance NdFeB sintered magnets were prepared.

Preparation Technology and Performances of Zn-Cr Coating on Sintered NdFeB Permanent Magnet

Zn-Cr coating was prepared on the surface of sintered NdFeB permanent magnet samples and preparation parameters were established. The anticorrosive property of Zn-Cr coating on NdFeB was studied by whole-immersion test in NaCl solution and compared with that of zinc plating and nickel plating on NdFeB. Open-circuit potential and self-corrosion current of NdFeB samples with and without Zn-Cr coating were measured. The micro-morphology and composition of Zn-Cr coming were analyzed through SEM, XPS, EDS and XRD. The effect of Zn-Cr coating on magnetic property of NdFeB magnet was also investigated. It is exposed that Zn-Cr coating is anodic type coating for NdFeB magnet, and provided substrate electrochemical protection, barrier protection and passivation protection. The anticorrosion property of NdFeB magnet is obviously enhanced by Zn-Cr coating while the magnet property of NdFeB magnet changed little.

High Energy and High Coercivity Sintered NdFeB Magnets by Low Oxygen Process

Using ball milling and single direction pressing, we can produce high performance NdFeB sintered magnets. The oxygen content of sintered magnets can be controlled under 1500xl0^-6 and the magnetic performance can be improved by using low oxygen processing. The high preformance NdFeB sintered magnets with Br=(1.4 ± 0.2)T, iHc>796 kA/m and (BH)max=(390± 16) kJ/m^3, have been batch produced.

Multilayer ceramic coating for impeding corrosion of sintered NdFeB magnets

Sintered NdFeB magnets have complex microstructure that makes them susceptible to corrosion in active environments.The current paper evaluated the anticorrosion characteristics of multilayer titanium nitride ceramic coating applied through cathodic arc physical vapour deposition(CAPVD) for protection of sintered NdFeB permanent magnets.The performance of ceramic coating was compared to the electrodeposited nickel coating having a copper interlayer.Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and cyclic polar...

Influence of Solidiflcation Rate on Microstructures of Cast Strips and Corresponding Sintered NdFeB Magnets

The influences of solidification rate on the microstructures of cast strips and corresponding sintered NdFeB magnets were investigated. The experimental results show that the volume fraction and size of columnar grains vary with the wheel speed V, and the fraction is highest to more than 90% with 3.5μm in average width at V = 2m·s-1. The reasons for the improved magnetic performance were discussed based on the micromagnetic theory and microstructure analyses of the strips and sintered magnets. The magnetic properties of sintered NdFeB magnets made from the (Nd,Dy)13.0(Fe,Ga, Al)80.5B6.5 cast strip which was obtained at V = 2 m·s-1 are as follows: Br = 1.15 T( 11.25 kG), iHc = 2799 kA·m-1 (35.2 kOe) and (BH)max = 242 kJ·m-3(30.35 MGOe).

Effect of Annealing on the Magnetism of the Sintered NdFeB Magnet

This paper deals with the effect of annealing on the magnetism of the sintered NdFeB magnet with a composi- tion of Nd3oB5M Alo.6Nbo.7Feft2.4- Microstructural investigations of the grain size and grain boundaries with SEM were carried out. Microstructural investigations showed the presence of some Nd-rich phase in grain boundaries and main phase. The results of magnetic properties analysis shows that this non-magnetic Nd-rich phase, produced in annealing process, can increase or decrease the magnetism of the sintered NdFeB-type permanent magnet. Appropriate amount of Nd-rich phase will strengthen the pinning field and elevated the coercive force of magnet, but too many these non-magnetism phases in Nd2Fei4B main phase will decrease it. When the sintered NdFeB magnet was annealed at 3Pa and 492°C for an hour the coercive force would raise from 915.6kA/m to 1164.8kA/m, and the (BH^ from 277.7kJ/m to 349.5kJ/m. How- ever, annealing at a non-optimized temperature at 542 °C, microstructure changes in some main phase will leading the de- crease of properties.

Magnetic force microscope study on anisotropic NdFeB permanent magnets

NdFeB permanent magnets prepared by powder metallurgy were investigated using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The excellent MFM images of sample along the surfaces parallel and perpendicular to the alignment axis were collected respectively. The results show the necessity of annealing procedure in the preparation of the samples to remove the polishing surface stress and to illustrate the real magnetic domain structure, so that the much information about both the magnetic structure and the topographic microstructure is obtained. The hard MFM tip is verified to be effective for this material especially for the sample with the examined surface parallel to alignment axis. By analyzing these well-captured magnetic force images, magnetic domains and alignment degree as well as the topographic information such as grain size and the nonmagnetic phases at the grain boundaries were demonstrated.

A Study of Grain Growth Kinetics in Sintered NdFeB Magnets

The Nd2Fe14 B grain growth kinetics in sintered NdFeB magnets with nominal compositions of Nd30+xDy1.5Fe67.08-xAl0.4B1.02 (%, x = 0, 3) was studied. The grain size parameters were determined by means of the linear intercept method on SEM secondary electron images. It is observed that the grain growth process is more sensitive to sintering temperature than to sintering time although the grain size rises with both sintering temperature and time. It is also found that magnets prepared from the pre-alloy powder with a higher oxygen content exhibit a lower grain growth rate and magnets made from the pre-alloy powder with a broader particle size distribution demonstrate a higher grain growth rate. It is believed that the presence of appropriate amounts of Nd oxides effectively impedes the grain growth process and a larger difference in sizes between pre-alloy powder particles significantly accelerates the grain growth process. On the basis of experimental results, the grain growth exponent and the corresponding activation energy were obtained. A possible grain growth mechanism in NdFeB magnets during sintering was briefly discussed.

History of Sintered NdFeB Magnets (Continued)

2. output of sintered ndfeb magnets increased rapidly at the beginning of 21st century annual output growth rate of magnets in china kept 25.2% from 1995-2000, and in japan, usa and europe was 26.2%,10% and 10.3% respectively.

Microstructure of pre-sintered permanent magnetic strontium ferrite powder

The microstructure and characteristics of pre-sintered strontium ferrite powder were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The present study shows that the pre-sintered strontium ferrite powder is provided with a certain particle size distribution, which results in high-density magnets. The strontium ferrite particle has a laminar hexagonal structure with a size similar to ferrite single domain. Ferric oxide phase due to an incomplete solid phase reaction in the first sintering is discovered, which will deteriorate the magnetic properties of ferrite magnet. In addition, the waste ferrite magnets with needle shape arranging along C axis in good order into the powders are found, which have no negative effects on finished product quality.

Effects and regulation mechanisms of post-sinter annealing treatment on magnetic properties and microstructures of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets with varying boron contents

In traditional Nd-Fe-B-based sintered magnets,the composition,role of each element and microstruc-tures have been extensively investigated globally since they were invented in 1983.However,the effects of boron(B)content and post-sinter annealing(PSA)on the microstructure and magnetic properties have been least studied so far and the relative mechanisms are not yet clear.In this paper,we investigated the influence of B on the magnetic performance and microstructure of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets origi-nally containing copper(Cu),gallium(Ga)and titanium(Ti).It is shown that the intrinsic coercivity has a substantial increment of 2.86 kOe and the remanence has a slight reduction of 0.16 kGs when B content is reduced from 0.980 wt.%to 0.900 wt.%.Moreover,there is a coercivity increment of 27.3%and 65.3%for samples with 0.980 wt.%and 0.900 wt.%B content after PSA,respectively.It is shown that the im-pacts of B content and PSA are significant and their regulation mechanisms are worthwhile to be studied systematically.Furthermore,it is revealed by microstructural analysis that high coercivity of the sample with 0.900 wt.%B after PSA results from the uniform distribution of Ga,Cu,Nd,and the formation of RE 6(Fe,M)14(RE=Pr,Nd,M=Cu,Ga)compound in triple junction phases.The dilution of Fe content in grain boundary phases(GB phases)also plays an important role.It is found out that decrease of the re-manence is mainly due to reduction of the matrix phase and c-axis alignment degree.In this study,we explored a new path to develop Nd-Fe-B-based sintered magnets with high comprehensive properties by novel approaches through varying B content,PSA technique and co-adding trace elements.

Study of Technology of Stripping Nickel Coating on NdFeB Permanent Magnet

The influences of category and density of reagents, temperature and the value of pH in the solution of stripping the nickel coating on NdFeB permanent magnet on the stripping result were studied systematically.The practical formular contains mainly the oxidant m-O2NC6H4SO3Na, the complex reagent ( NaOOCCH2 ) 2N( CH2 ) 2N( CH2COOH)2,the reagent of retarding corrosion KF and the calatyze RL-3 was obtained.

Effects of thickness and annealing condition on magnetic properties and thermal stabilities of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films

Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films are deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si（100） substrates,and subsequently annealed in vacuum at different temperatures for different time.It is found that both the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing condition can affect the magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films.Interestingly,the thickness and annealing temperature show the relevant behaviors that can affect the magnetic properties of the film.The high coercivity of 24.1 kOe（1 Oe = 79.5775 A/m） and remanence ratio（remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization）of 0.94 can be obtained in a Ta/Nd（250 nm）/NdFeB（600 nm）/Nd（250 nm）/Ta film annealed for 3 min at 1023 K.In addition,the thermal stability of the film is also linked to the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing temperature as well.The excellent thermal stability can be achieved in a Ta/Nd（250 nm）/NdFeB（600 nm）/Nd（250 nm）/Ta film annealed at1023 K.

The Studies of Composite Electroless Plating Process on Sintering Ndfeb Permanent Magnet

A reasonable pre-treatment and an ultrasonic pre-plating Cu film were applied for sintering NdFeB permanent magnet. The samples were then plated in neutral bath (PH=7) for 40min and in acidic bath (PH=4.8～5.1) for 2h. A composite electroless plating with different phosphor content was obtained. The results show that the composite plating coatings are dense and have a strong bond with the substrate, which contribute to the excellent corrosion resistance of the plating coating.

Effect of grain boundary diffusion of terbium on mode of mechanical fracture of sintered NdFeB magnets

Grain boundary diffusion process(GBDP)is a widely used method of increasing the coercivity of sintered NdFeB magnets.In this study,the effects of the GBDP on the bending strength and microhardness of sintered NdFeB magnets and the fracture mode were investigated.Results show that the bending strength of magnets is reduced by pickling and heat treatment and greatly recove rs after heavy rare earth element(Tb)grain boundary diffusion.The pickling and the heat treatment cause a slight decrease in microhardness.Compared with the recovery of the bending strength,the hardness decreases after the GBDP.The fracture mode of bended magnets changes from intergranular to transgranular.This study helps in further improving the mechanical and magnetic properties of sintered NdFeB magnets.

Development of permanent magnetic refrigerator at room temperature

A reciprocating magnetic refrigerator was developed based on the active magnetic regeneration technology. Rare earth metal Gd and intermetallic compound LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.1 were used as the magnetic operating materials in the machine. The particles of the magnetic operating materials, with diameter of 0.5-2 mm and total mass of 950 g, were mounted in the cooling bed. A magnetic field was assembled using NdFeB rare earth permanent magnets. It had the magnetic field space of Φ 34×200 and the magnetic induction of 1.5 T. The water at pH=10 is used as a heat transfer fluid. When the ambient temperature is 296 K, a temperature span of 18 K was achieved after operation of 45 min at a frequency of 0.178 Hz. The temperature span and the output power increase significantly with the increasing velocity of heat transfer.

Active ferromagnetic shimming of the permanent magnet for magnetic resonance imaging scanner

This paper presents an approach of active ferromagnetic shimming for C-type permanent magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） magnet. It is designed to reduce inhomogeneity of magnetostatic field of C-type permanent magnet to meet the stringent requirement for MRI applications. An optimal configuration （locations and thicknesses） of active ferromagnetic pieces is generated through calculation according to the initial field map and the demanded final homo- geneity specifications. This approach uses a minimisation technique which makes the sum of squared magnetic moment minimum to restrict the amount of the active ferromagnetic material used and the maximal thickness of pieces stacked at each hole location in the shimming hoards. Simulation and experimental results verify that the method is valid and efficient.

Effect of annealing process on magnetic properties of Sm(Co_(0.6)Fe_(0.27)Cu_(0.1)Zr_(0.03))_(7.5) ribbons

Sm（Co0.6Fe0.27Cu0.1Zr0.03）7.5 ribbons were prepared by melt-spun method.The results showed that the remnant magnetization Mr and intrinsic coercivity Hci had a rapid increase when the heating rate increased from 5 to 10 °C/min.But the increase of Mr and Hci were observed to be very little when the heating rate was further increased to 20 °C/min.10 °C/min was the critical heating rate for obtaining high magnetic properties.The maximum values of Mr and Hci reached 0.70 T and 780.1 kA/m when the annealing temperature and annealing time were optimized to be 800 °C and 1 h, respectively.Proper second-step heat treatment could suppress the decrease of Hci when the cooling rate increased from 0.7 to 5 °C/min, which could reduce the cooling time effectively.

Main Problems Faced by Chinese RE Permanent Magnetic Industry

Under over 50 years' development, Chinese rare earth magnetic industry developed into the global AINiCo, ferrite permanent magnets and NdFeB magnets manufacturing center, and average consumption of magnets per person in China increased to 1.026 tons in 2003 from 0.217 ton in 1990. Although China has been the large producing country of rare earth permanent magnetic materials, to be the strongest one, there are many problems to solve. Main Problems Faced By Chinese Permanent Magnet