Crystallization kinetics of amorphous Nd_(3.6)Pr_(5.4)Fe_(83)Co_3B_5 and preparation of α-Fe/Nd_2Fe_(14)B nanocomposite magnets by controlled melt-solidification technique

1　INTRODUCTIONNanocompositeexchangecoupledmagnetsconsistingofafinemixtureofhardandsoftmagneticphaseshaveat tractedmuchattentionforpotentialpermanentmagnetde velopment,sincetheycould ,byexchangecoupling[1] ,potentiallyprovideamaximumenergyproduct [(BH) max]inexcessof 80 0kJ·m- 3[2 ] .Uptonow ,manynanocom positemagnetsystems,includingNd2 Fe14 B/Fe3B ,R2 Fe14 B/Fe,R2 Fe14 C/Fe (R =Nd ,Pr) ,Sm2 Fe17Nx/Fe ,andSm2 (Fe,Si) 17Cx/Fe[3] ,havebeenextensivelystudied .Unfortunately,inprac…

Crystallization kinetics of amorphous Nd3.6 Pr5.4 Fe83Co3B5 and preparation of α-Fe/Nd2Fe14B nanocomposite magnets by controlled melt-solidification technique

The crystallization kinetics of amorphous Nd3. 6 Pr5.4 Fe83 Co3 B5 and the preparation of α-Fe/Nd2 Fe14 B nanocomposite magnets by controlled melt-solidification of Nd3.6Pr5.4Fe83Co3B5 was investigated by employing DTA, XRD, and TEM. The results show that a metastable intermediate phase Nd8Fe27B24 prior to α-Fe and Nd2 Fe14 B phases is crystallized as the amorphous Nd3.6 Pr5.4 Fe83 Co3 B5 is heated to 1 223 K. The crystallization activation energy of α-Fe and Nd8 Fe27324 phases is larger at the beginning stage of crystallization, and then it decreases with crystallized fraction x for the former and has little change when x is below 70% for the latter, which essentially results in an α-Fe/Nd2 Fe14 B microstructure with a relatively coarse grain size about 20-60 nm and a non-uniform distribution of grain size in the annealed alloy. The a-Fe/Nd2 Fe14 B nanocomposite magnets with a small average grain size about 14 nm and a quite uniform grain size distribution were prepared by controlled melt-solidification of nealing the amorphous Nd3. 6 Pr5. 4 Fe83 Co3 B5 precursor alloy.