Post-sintering heat treatment effect on the coercivity of sintered (Nd,Dy)15(Fe,Co,Mo,Al)77B8 permanent magnets

The effect of heat treatment on the intrinsic coercivity, iHc and microstructure were investigated for sintered (Nd,Dy)15(Fe,Co,Mo,Al)77 B8 permanent magnet. The microstructure has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The observed behaviour of iHc may be caused by a superposition of the following effects: (i) the distribution of the nonmagnetic phases and the ratio of the amount of hard magnetic Nd2Fe14B-phase to the amount of the residual phases; (ii) homogeneous distribution of elements in the main phases; (iii) removing the stresses in the phases; and (iv) diffusion of Al, Mo and Co into the hard magnetic Nd2Fe14B-phases.