Magnetic Properties of Nd-Fe-B Sintered Magnet Powders Recovered by Yb Metal Vapor Sorption

Fine ground powders of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnet bulks (particle size=46～125 μm in diameter) were coated and alloyed with Yb metal by sorbing them. A significant recovery of the decreased magnetic properties of the ground powders (remanence B r=～0.95 T, coercivity H cj =～227 kA·m -1 and maximum energy product (BH) max=～48 8 kJ·m -3) was observed in accordance with increasing temperature up to 800 ℃. The sorbing temperature and time for Yb metal vapor were optimized and after heating at 800 ℃ for 90 min and annealing subsequently at 610 ℃ for 60 min, the B r, H cj and (BH) max values were increased to be 0.98 T, 712 kA·m -1 and 173 kJ·m -3, respectively. From the microstructural characterizations of resulting samples by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPMA), it is found that the sorbed Yb metal uniformly covers the surface and diffuses to the Nd-rich grain boundary of fine ground powders of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnet bulks forming a (Nd,Yb)Fe 2 phase.