Preparation of Sm−Fe−N Bulk Magnets with High Maximum Energy Products
R. Matsunami, M. Matsuura, N. Tezuka, Satoshi Sugimoto
Abstract
In an effort to increase the maximum energy product ((BH)max) and coercivity (HcJ) of Zn-bonded Sm−Fe−N magnets, we developed a process for preparing Sm−Fe−N and Zn powders with low oxygen contents and subjected them to spark plasma sintering. The oxygen content, remanence, and coercivity of the Sm−Fe−N powder were 0.22 wt%, 151 A·m2·kg−1, and 0.72 MA·m−1, respectively. The oxygen content and secondary average particle size of the Zn powder were 0.083 wt% and 0.93 μm, respectively. The magnetic properties of the Zn-free Sm−Fe−N magnets included an HcJ of 0.86 MA·m−1 and a (BH)max of 188 kJ·m−3, while the Zn-bonded (10 wt%) Sm−Fe−N magnets exhibited excellent magnetic properties with a (BH)max of 200 kJ·m−3 and an HcJ of 1.28 MA·m−1. Compared with previous studies, this is the high (BH)max observed for a Sm−Fe−N bulk magnet simultaneously displaying a high HcJ. The (BH)max of the Zn-bonded magnets was greater than that of the Zn-free magnets owing to the higher relative density of the former. Therefore, Zn is an effective binder for increasing not only the coercivity but also the density of Sm−Fe−N magnets. Consequently, the procedure reported herein permits the successful preparation of high-performance Sm−Fe−N bulk magnets.