High-Performance MnBi Alloy Prepared Using Profiled Heat Treatment

The profiled heat treatment (PHT) method has been used to synthesize MnBi alloys with high-purity low-temperature phase (LTP). In the PHT method, the arc-melted MnBi alloy was remelted then slowly cooled by a pseudo-equilibrium solidification process to promote the formation of LTP phase. The PHT-treated MnBi alloys had an LTP phase up to 94 wt.% and a magnetization of 73 emu/g under a field of 9 T. Scanning electron microscopy showed that there exist some micrometer-sized Mn-rich inclusions in the LTP matrix of the PHT MnBi alloy. The PHT MnBi alloys were crushed into powders with an average size of ~3 μm by low-energy ball milling. These MnBi powders were aligned in an 18 kOe field and warm compacted into a bulk magnet at 300 °C for 30 min. The magnet had a density of 8.2 g/cm³ and magnetic properties of M_s = 6.7 kG, M_r = 5.3 kGs, i H_c = 5 kOe, and (BH)_max = 6.1 MGOe.