Preparation and control mechanism of anisotropic Sm-Pr-Co/Co nanocomposites with unusual continuous soft-phase coatings

To produce nanocomposite materials with high magnetic properties, studies concerning nanostructural processing technologies and control mechanisms are urgently required in aspects of achieving perfect alignment of the hard phase while keeping desired sizes and distributions of the soft phase. In the present study, a designed low-rate electroless deposition method is found to be an effective way in producing strong textured anisotropic Sm-Pr-Co/Co nanocomposites with unusual continuous soft-phase coatings when assembling Co particles on the ball-milled anisotropic Sm-Pr-Co hard phase. The average particle size of the soft-phase coatings is 18–50 nm and the obtained Sm-Pr-Co/Co composites exhibit a high intrinsic coercivity of H_ci = 748 kA/m with an enhanced remanence of M_r = 79 A·m²/g, as compared to H_ci = 836 kA/m and M_r = 68 A·m²/kg for uncoated Sm-Pr-Co hard phase. Moreover, the coating process study reveals a nucleation control mechanism for the formation of the continuous coating structures. Down-sized Sm-Pr-Co/Co nanocomposites with tailored size below 300 nm or even below 100 nm were also produced by this designed method. This study is of theoretical and practical importance for developing advanced nanostructures including the next generation permanent magnets.     

Effect of La–Y co-substitution on magnetic properties and microstructure of NdFeB alloy ribbons

Committed to obtaining cost-effective NdFeB based permanent magnets, Nd_27–xLa₃Y_xFe_balAl_0.1Cu_0.1B₁ (x = 0–3) alloys were fabricated to detect the magnetic properties and microstructure. When x = 1.8, coercivity of 1004 kA/m and the magnetic remanence of 0.75 T are obtained, which are close to those of the original Nd₃₀Fe_balAl_0.1Cu_0.1B₁ alloy ribbons. The temperature coefficient of coercivity (β) and the temperature coefficient of remanence (α) of the LaY-substituted alloys are better than those of the original alloys. The research results manifest that La is mainly distributed in the grain boundary phases and plays the role of refining the main grains, optimizing the grain boundary phases and improving the wettability between the main phases and the grain boundary phases, while Y tends to enrich in the main phases and enhances the short-range exchange coupling.     

Structure and magnetic properties of bulk nanocrystalline Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets prepared by hot pressing and hot deformation

Structure and magnetic properties were studied for bulk nanocrystalline Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets that were prepared at 650 °C for 3 min under 300 MPa using the SPS-3.20-MK-V sintering machine and the hot pressed magnets were then submitted to hot deformation with height reduction of 50%,60%,70%,80%,and 85%.Effects of height reduction(HR) and deformation temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of the magnets were investigated.The crystal structure was evaluated by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD) and the microstructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The magnetic properties of the magnets were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM).As the height reduction increased,the remanence(B r) of the magnets increased first,peaks at 1.3 T with HR=60%,then decreased again,and the coercivity(H ci) of the magnets decreased monotonically.On the other hand,as the deformation temperature increased,the B r of the magnets increased first,peaks at 1.36 T with HR=60%,then decreased again,and the H ci of the magnets decreased monotonically.Under optimal conditions,the hot deformed magnet possessed excellent magnetic properties as B r =1.36 T,H ci =1143 kA/m,and(BH) max =370 kJ/m 3,suggesting the good potential of the magnets in practical applications.     

Improvement of coercivity and thermal stability of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets by intergranular addition of Tb80Fe20 alloy

To improve the coercivity and temperature stability of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets for high-temperature applications, the eutectic Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ (wt%) alloy powders were added into the Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets by intergranular method to enhance the coercivity (H_cj) and thermal stability. The microstructure, magnetic properties and thermal stability of the Nd-Fe-B magnets with different Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ contents were studied. The experimental results demonstrate that the coercivity (H_cj) of the sintered Nd-Fe-B magnet is significantly enhanced from 14.12 to 27.78 kOe, and the remanence (B_r) decreases not obviously by introducing 4 wt% Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ alloy. Meanwhile, the reversible temperature coefficients of coercivity (β) and remanence (α) of the Nd-Fe-B magnets are increased from ?0.5634%/℃ to ?0.4506%/℃ and ?0.1276%/℃ to ?0.1199%/℃ at 20–170 ℃, respectively. The Curie temperature (T_C) of the Nd-Fe-B magnet is slightly enhanced with the increase of Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ content. Moreover, the irreversible flux magnetic loss (h_irr) is obviously reduced as Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ addition increases. Further analysis of the microstructure reveals that a modified microstructure, i.e. clear and continuous RE-rich grain boundary layer, is acquired in the sintered magnets by introducing Tb₈₀Fe₂₀ alloy. The associated mechanisms on improved coercivity and thermal stability were comprehensively researched.     

Correlation of mechanical anisotropy with fine grain strengthening for Sm2Co17-type sintered permanent magnets

The as-solution-treated Sm₂Co₁₇-type magnets exhibiting a single 1:7H phase with different average grain sizes (D) were designed. Anisotropy of bending strength (R_bb) and compressive strength (R_mc) of the magnets were investigated. Moreover, the R_bb increases from 86 to 173 MPa with D decreasing from ～52 to ～18 μm for group c//h samples. The Hall–Petch correlation was employed to reveal the effect of grain size on mechanical properties of the magnets, giving deep understanding of the mechanical anisotropy characteristics. The relatively high Hall–Petch coefficient K^Rbb (0.79 MPa?m^1/2) gives rise to the largest R_bb (173 MPa) for group c//h samples. The mechanical anisotropy of the samples is well explained based on crystal structure and grain size features (grain boundaries). Grain refinement is an effective way to enhance the mechanical properties of Sm₂Co₁₇-type sintered magnets.     

Enhanced magnetic properties of Ce17Fe76.5Co1Zr0.5B6 alloys by magnetic field heat treatment

In the present work, Ce₁₇Fe_76.5Co₁Zr_0.5B₆ ribbons were prepared by a direct melt spinning method. The effects of chamber pressure and magnetic field annealing temperature on the magnetic properties and microstructures of the alloys were investigated. The grain size and content of Ce₂Fe₁₄B phase can be changed by adjusting the chamber pressure, and the optimal magnetic performance is obtained at 0.04 MPa. The magnetic properties can be influenced under magnetic field heat treatment. When the annealing temperature is lower than the Curie temperature, the refinement and a uniform distribution of the grains is obtained. The irreversible magnetic susceptibility curve reveals that magnetic field heat treatment enhances the exchange coupling interaction between grains of the Ce₂Fe₁₄B phase. When the magnetic field annealing temperature is 438 K, the alloy displays the optimal magnetic properties. Compared with the as-spun sample, the values of intrinsic coercivity (H_ci), remanence (B_r) and maximum energy product ((BH)_max) increase by 3.4%, 9.8% and 18.7%, respectively. This work provides an effective approach by which to enhance the magnetic properties of Ce–Fe–B alloys.     

Particle size dependent sinterability and magnetic properties of recycled HDDR Nd-Fe-B powders consolidated with spark plasma sintering

The dependence of the magnetic properties on the particle size of recycled HDDR Nd-Fe-B powders was investigated,with the aim to assess the reprocessing potential of the end-of-life scrap magnets via spark plasma sintering(SPS).The as received recycled HDDR powder has coercivity(H_(ci))=830 kA/m and particles in the range from 30 to 700 μm(average 220 μm).After burr milling,the average particle size is reduced to 120 μm and subsequently the H_(ci) of fine(milled) powder was 595 kA/m.Spark plasma sintering was exploited to consolidate the nanograined HDDR powders and limit the abnormal grain coarsening.The optimal SPS-ing of coarse HDDR powder at 750℃for 1 min produces fully dense magnets with H_(ci)=950±100 kA/m which further increases to 1200 kA/m via thermal treatment at 750℃for 15 min.The burr milled fine HDDR powder under similar SPS conditions and after thermal treatment results in H_(ci)=940 kA/m.The fine powder is further sieved down from 630 to less than 50 μm mesh size,to evaluate the possible reduction in H_(ci) in relation to the particle size.The gain in oxygen content doubles for 50 μm sized particles as compared with coarser fractions(200 μm).The XRD analysis for fractionated powder indicates an increase in Nd_2O_3 phase peaks in the finer(100 μm)fractions.Similarly,the H_(ci) reduces from 820 kA/m in the coarse particles(200 μm) to 460 kA/m in the fine sized particles(100μm).SPS was done on each HDDR powder fraction under the optimal conditions to measure the variation in H_(ci) and density.The H_(ci) of SPS-ed coarse fraction(200 μm) is higher than 930 kA/m and it falls abruptly to just 70 kA/m for the fine sized particles(100 μm).The thermal treatment further improves the H_(ci) to1000 kA/m only up to 100 μm sized fractions with90% sintered density.The full densification(99%) is observed only in the coarse fractions.The loss of coercivity and lack of sinterability in the fine sized particles(100 μm) are attributed to a very high oxygen content.This implies that during recycling,if good magnetic properties are to be maintained or even increase the HDDR powder particles can be sized down only up to≥100 μm.     

Effect of surface Nd-rich phase and oxygen content of melt-spun flakes on formation of coarse grains in hot-pressed Nd-Fe-B magnet

Nd-Fe-B hot-pressed (HP) magnet prepared from melt-spun MQU-F flakes features coarse grains (CG) with the average size of both 200 nm (CG_S) and 700 nm (CG_L) at flake boundary. The grain growth at the flake boundary of Nd₂Fe₁₄B/α-Fe composite HP magnet before and after diffusion of low-melting-point Pr₈₂Cu₁₈ phase was investigated, revealing the indispensable role of surface RE-rich phase of melt-spun flakes in the formation of CG in HP magnet. The dominant role of surface oxygen content of melt-spun flakes in the formation of CG_L has been clarified with etching method. The HP magnet prepared from the etched flakes with dramatically decreased oxygen content exhibits the CG regions merely with homogeneous equiaxed CG_S at flake boundary. Consequently, the coercivity (μ₀H_c) shows significant increase while remanent magnetization (μ₀M_r) inappreciable change. Further investigation with sieving method reveals the elimination of CG_L via removal of the fine Nd-Fe-B flakes smaller than 54 μm due to their much higher oxygen content, confirming the dominant role of oxygen content in the formation of CG_L. The quantitative analysis on the magnetic properties of the above HP magnets reveals the monotonic increase of coercivity (μ₀H_c) and negligible change of remanent magnetization (μ₀M_r) with decreased oxygen contents of Nd-Fe-B flakes. The maximum value of coercivity (μ₀H_c) increases from 2.26 to 2.47 T as the oxygen content decreases from 0.1692 wt% to 0.079 wt%.     

Microstructure evolution and coercivity mechanism of hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination (HDDR) treated Nd-Fe-B strip cast alloys

In this paper, we systematically investigated the microstructure evolution and coercivity mechanism of hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination (HDDR) treated Nd-Fe-B strip cast alloys by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analyses. The rod-like NdH_2+x phases with diameters of 10–20 nm are embedded into α-Fe matrix, which hereditarily leads to textured grains in HDDR alloy. The migration of NdH_2+x from Nd-rich region to α-Fe matrix during hydrogen absorption process contributes to the uniform redistribution of Nd-rich phases after HDDR treatment. The HDDR alloy with single domain grain sizes of 200–300 nm exhibits relatively low coercivity of 1.01 T that arises from pinning magnetic domain motion. The weak c-axis orientation of HDDR alloy results in a lower reverse magnetic field (coercivity) to reduce remanence to 0. Moreover, the direct contact of Nd₂Fe₁₄B grains and the high concentration of ferromagnetic elements (Fe content ≈ 66.06 at%, Co content ≈ 0.91 at%) in Nd-rich grain boundary layer lead to strong magnetostatic coupling effect among Nd₂Fe₁₄B grains. The nano-sized α-Fe inside Nd₂Fe₁₄B matrix makes the magnetization reversal easily and decreases the coercivity of HDDR alloy.     

Enhancement of terbium efficiency by gallium and copper co-doping in (Pr,Nd)-Fe-B sintered magnets

It is well known that Tb substitution for (Pr, Nd) in (Pr, Nd)-Fe-B based sintered magnetic materials is an effective way to increase intrinsic coercivity, but it is not quite clear whether the increment depends on the different matrix phases with various doping ingredient or not, which is essential to develop high quality magnets with high coercivity more efficiently and effectively with economic consumption of expensive Tb and other costly heavy rare earths. In this paper, we investigated the efficiency of Tb substitution for magnetic property in (Pr, Nd)-Fe-B sintered permanent magnets by co-doping Ga and Cu elements. It is shown that Ga and Cu co-doping can effectively improve the efficiency of Tb substitution to increase the thermal stability and the coercivity. The intrinsic coercivity increases up to 549 and 987 kA/m respectively by 1.5 wt% and 3.0 wt% Tb substitution in Ga and Cu co-doped magnets while the intrinsic coercivity increases up to only 334 and 613 kA/m respectively by the same amounts of Tb substitution in non-Ga and low-Cu magnets. In other words, it demonstrates that there is about 329–366 kA/m linear equivalent enhancement of intrinsic coercivity by 1.0 wt% Tb substitution for (Pr, Nd) in Ga and Cu co-doped magnets. The temperature coefficients of both intrinsic coercivity β and remanence α at 20–150 °C by 3.0 wt% Tb substitution for the magnets with Ga and Cu co-doping are −0.47%/K and −0.109%/K respectively, and in contrast those values are −0.52%/K and −0.116%/K respectively for the non-Ga and low-Cu magnets. It is the principal reason for more efficient enhancement of magnetic property by Tb substitution in the Ga and Cu co-doped magnets in which Tb atoms are expelled from triple junction phases (TJPs) to penetrate into the grain boundary phases (GB phases) and thus modify the grain boundary. It is prospected that the efficiency of Tb substitution would rely on different matrix phases with various doping constituents.     

Rare earth permanent magnets Sm2（Co,Fe, Cu,Zr）17 for high temperature applications

Sintered Sm（Coba1FexCu0.1Zr0.03）7.5 （x=0.09-0.21） permanent magnets with higher Fe content were found to have higher remanence Br and maximum energy product （BH）max at room temperature. Br and （BH）max reached maximum of 0.96 T and 176.7 kJ/m^3, respectively at room temperature when the Fe content x reached 0.21. However, the intrinsic coercivity Hci at room temperature increased gradually when the Fe content x increased from 0.09 to 0.15, but when x further increased to 0.21, Hcidecreased. Hci attained its peak value of 2276.6 kA/m with Fe content x=0.15 at room temperature. For magnets with x=0.15, Br, （BH）max and Hc1 reached 0.67 T, 81.2 kJ/m^3 and 509.4 kA/m at 500 ℃, respectively, showing good high temperature stability, which could be used in high temperature applications.     

Improvement in magnetic properties,corrosion resistance and microstructure of Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets through intergranular addition of Tb68Ni32

New energy vehicles and offshore wind power industries have a high demand for sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets with high intrinsic coercivity and high corrosion resistance. In this study, the magnetic properties, anticorrosion properties, and microstructure of Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets with the intergranular addition of low-melting-point eutectic Tb₆₈Ni₃₂ alloy powders were investigated. The aim is to determine if the addition of Tb₆₈Ni₃₂ can improve these properties. A low melting-point eutectic alloy Tb₆₈Ni₃₂ powders was prepared as a grain boundary additive and blended with the master alloy powders prior to sintering. The coercivity of the resultant magnets gradually increases from 1468 to 2151 kA/m by adding increasing amounts of Tb₆₈Ni₃₂. At the same time, the remanence first increases and then slightly decreases. After studying the microstructure and elemental composition of the Tb₆₈Ni₃₂ added magnets, it is found that the significant increase in coercivity and the negligible reduction in remanence is due to densification, improved grain orientation, a uniform and continuous boundary phase distribution, as well as the generation of a (Nd,Pr,Tb)₂Fe₁₄B “core–shell” structure surrounding the main-phase grain. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the magnet is greatly improved owing to the enhancement of electrochemical stability, as well as the optimization of the distribution and morphology of the intergranular phase.     

Effect of MgCl2 on electrophoretic deposition of TbF3 powders on Nd-Fe-B sintered magnet

Using electrophoretic deposition(EPD) method,the TbF₃ powders were deposited on the surface of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets,and the effects of MgCl₂ on electrophoretic deposition and grain boundary diffusion were investigated.The results show that addition of 5 wt% MgCl₂ can significantly improve the EPD efficiency and improve the adhesion of the coating by releasing local stress through the formation of special gully morphology.Combining with Biesheuvel equation,the...     

Effect of wheel speed on phase formation and magnetic properties of (Nd0.4La0.6)-Fe-B melt-spun ribbons

The effect of wheel speed on phase formation and magnetic properties of (Nd_0.4La_0.6)₁₅Fe_77.5B_7.5 and (Nd_0.4La_0.6)_13.4Fe_79.9B_6.7 ribbons prepared by melt-spinning method was investigated experimentally. Based on X-ray diffraction results, all melt-spun ribbons consist of the main phase with the tetragonal 2:14:1 type structure and the minor α-Fe phase. Magnetic measurements show the maximum magnetic energy product ((BH)_max) and the remanence (M_r) increases firstly and then decreases with the increase of wheel speed, while the coercivity (H_ci) increases, resulting from the variation of the average volume fraction of the α-Fe phase and the average grain size in the melt-spun ribbons. Using Henkel plots, the interaction between the 2:14:1 phase and the α-Fe phase in the melt-spun ribbons was analyzed and the intergranular exchange coupling is manifested. Optimal magnetic properties of H_ci = 7.27 kOe, M_r = 90.94 emu/g and (BH)_max = 12.10 MGOe are achieved in the (Nd_0.4La_0.6)₁₅Fe_77.5B_7.5 ribbon with the wheel speed of 26 m/s. It indicates that magnetic properties of Nd-Fe-B melt-spun ribbons with highly abundant rare earth element La can be improved by optimizing alloy composition and preparation process.     

Multilayer Magnets

After experimental evidence of intergrain exchange coupling was reported, nanocomposite magnets with high remanence and large energy products were predicted. However, the experimental values of the maximum magnetic energy product of nanocomposite bulk magnets have been much less than the theoretically predicted ones. We gave a brief review on advances in multilayer magnets. The exchange coupling and remanence enhancement were realized in nanocomposite (Nd,Dy)(Fe,Co,Nb,B)_5,5/α-Fe thin films prepared by sputtering and heat treatments. Well-designed multilayer films consist of magnetically hard Nd₂Fe₁₄B-type phase with the grain size of 40 nm and magnetically soft α-Fe phase existing in the form of the continuous layers. Furthermore, we reported the structural and magnetic properties of anisotropic Nd-Fe-B thin films. The effects of thickness, deposition rates, substrate temperature, annealing temperature were studied. A high maximum energy product of (BH)_max = 270 kJ/m³ was obtained for anisotropic Nd-Fe-B thin films.     

Effects of Pr-Cu-Ti intergranular addition on microstructure and magnetic properties of heavy-rare-earth-free Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets

By intergranular addition of Pr-Cu-Ti alloy powders in the Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets with the normal B component, we propose an approach to the optimization of grain boundary and local Nd-Fe-B composition system. The coercivity is enhanced from 1.42 to 1.86 T, while further addition leads to a reduction in remanence and coercivity. The analyses of phase composition reveal that Ti mainly exists in the form of metallic Ti alloy, and part of Ti combines with B to form the TiB₂ phase after the liquid phase sintering process. This process results in a consumption of B in the local Nd-Fe-B composition system and a change of the grain boundary component, which contributes to the formation process of the RE₆(Fe,M)₁₄ phase after the annealing process. Therefore, with the modification of grain boundary and composition system, the intergranular addition of Pr-Cu-Ti induces the generation of continuous thin grain boundary phases. It promotes the intergrain exchange decoupling, increasing the coercivity in the annealed magnet. While the excess addition results in the segregation of TiB₂, as well as the precipitation of TiB₂ into the Nd-Fe-B phase, which leads to structural defects. Thus, the further effort for the addition alloy with Ti to reduce the deterioration of the microstructure will lead to further improvement in magnetic properties.     

Effects of grain boundary diffusion process on magnetic properties enhancement and microstructure evolution of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets

Grain boundary diffusion(GBD) process is an important approach for producing Nd-Fe-B magnets with high coercivity and high thermal stability.The GBD for hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets with nanocrystalline micro structure is more complicated compared to sintered magnets.Here,we investigated the effects of different GBD methods,i.e.,intergranular addition(in-situ GBD 1#),in-situ GBD from magnet surface during hot pressing and hot deformation(in-situ GBD 2#),and conventional GBD,on the magnetic prope...     

Tremendous enhancement of magnetic performance for Sm(CoFeCuZr)z magnet based on multiscale copper redistribution

Microstructure and magnetic properties were studied for the commercial Sm(CoFeCuZr)_z magnets before and after post annealing treatment. The results show that the phases composition and orientation of the magnet do not change after post annealing treatment, but the substantial redistribution of Cu element within multiscale (the microscale crystal grain and the nanoscale cellular structure) is observed simultaneously. In detail, along with the Cu redistribution, the thickness of the Cu-rich Sm(Co,Cu)₅ cell boundary becomes thinner, and the Cu concentration in the boundary increases sharply. The pinning field of domain walls and corresponding coercivity increase remarkably with slight remanence and maximum energy product loss, and the overall magnetic performance of (BH)_max (MGOe)+H_cj (kOe) increases by 54.3% as a result. Moreover, the thermal stability of the magnet improves as well. On the other hand, Cu-lean phenomenon was observed along the grain boundary region, triggering to magnetic domain reversal process and slightly undermining the squareness of the demagnetization curve of the magnet.     

Influence of Pr-Al-Co alloy diffusion source on magnetic properties and microstructure of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets processed by grain boundary diffusion

In this study, the influence of the content of Al and Co in the diffusion source on the magnetic performance and microstructure of the diffused magnet was studied by grain boundary diffusion treatment with Pr₇₀Al_30–xCo_x (x = 0 at%, 10 at%, 15 at%, 20 at%, 30 at%) alloys. When the Co content in the diffusion source increases from 0 at% to 10 at%, the coercivity enhancement in the Pr₇₀Al₂₀Co₁₀ diffused magnet is the highest, increased from 1.62 to 2.24 T, higher than 2.01 T of the Pr₇₀Al₃₀ diffused magnet. With further increase of Co content in the diffused source, the coercivity of the diffused magnet decreases gradually, the coercivity of Pr₇₀Al₁₅Co₁₅, Pr₇₀Al₂₀Co₁₀ and Pr₇₀Co₃₀ diffused magnet is 2.15, 1.99 and 1.81 T, respectively. Microstructural analysis shows that plenty of continuous grain boundary phases (CGBPs) can be formed in the Pr₇₀Al₂₀Co₁₀ diffused magnet under the synergistic effect of Al and Co, which leads to the enhancement of magnetic isolation between more adjacent grains. However, the amount of CGBP in the diffused magnets gradually decreases with the further increase of Co content in the diffusion source.     

Influence of zirconium addition on microstructure, magnetic properties and thermal stability of nanocrystalline Nd12.3Fe81.7B6.0 alloy

Effect of Zr addition on microstructure, magnetic properties and thermal stability of Nd12.3Fe81.7B6.0 (x=0-3.0) ribbons melt-spun and annealed was investigated. Magnetic measurement using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) revealed that Zr addition was significantly effective in improving the magnetic properties at room temperature. The intrinsic coercivity Hci of the optimally processed rib-boris increased monotonically with increasing Zr content, from 751.7 kA/m for x=0 to 1005.3 kA/m for x=3.0. Unlike the coercivity, the re-manence polarization Jr increased first with Zr addition, from 0.898 T up to 1.041 T at x=1.5, and then decreased with further Zr addition.The maximum energy product (BH)max behaved similarly, increasing from 103.1 KJ/m3 to a maximum of 175.2 kJ/m3 at x=1.5. Microstruc-ture studies using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) had shown a significant microstructttre re-finement with Zr addition. The absolute values of temperature coefficients of induction and coercivity were significantly increased with in-creasing Zr content, indicating that Zr was detrimental to thermal stability of the melt-spun Nd2Fe14B-type material.