Effect of Al, Cu, Ga, and Nb additions on the magnetic properties and microstructural features of sintered NdFeB

This study describes the relative effect on the permanent magnet characteristics viz. remanence (B-r), intrinsic coercivity (H-ci), Curie temperature (T-C), and rectangularity of the intrinsic demagnetization curve, when Al, Cu, Ga, and Nb are added individually to NdFeB. Each elemental addition causes significant improvement in H-ci but the level of improvement differs from one additive element to the other. The addition of Nb is favored over other elements for realizing maximum enhancement in H-ci and rectangularity of the demagnetization curve. The microstructural features of the sintered samples of NdFeB with elemental addition show the formation of a new phase, in addition to the phases (Phi,eta, and Nd-rich) generally found in the ternary sample. The factors influencing the permanent magnet characteristics of sintered samples are the distribution of the Nd-rich phase in the intergranular region, the size and distribution of the minor phases at the grain junctions, the formation and distribution of new phases due to alloying addition, and the solubility of the dopant element in various phases coexisting in the sample. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.