Production of fine Nd-Fe-B alloy powder by pulsed plasma atomization

Authors

Jeffrey E. Shield, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
S. Christensen, University of Utah
R. W. Kincaid, UTRON, Inc., Manassas, VA
F. D. Witherspoon, UTRON, Inc., Manassas, VA

Date of this Version

2003

Comments

Published in Journal of Materials Science 38 (2003), pp. 445–449. Copyright © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Used by permission.

Abstract

Extremely fine (<10 >μm) Nd-Fe-B powder was generated by pulsed plasma atomization processing. The number average was just over 3 μm, as determined by computer-assisted scanning electron microscopy analysis of almost 3000 particles. Despite the fine particle size, alloys of stoichiometric Nd₂Fe₁₄B resulted in the properitectic formation of α-Fe, deleteriously affecting the magnetic properties. Nevertheless, this work shows the possibility of generating extremely fine, isotropic powder for bonded and hybrid magnet applications.