Nanocomposite Didymium-Fe-B/Alnico magnetic alloys with core shell structure and improved magnetic properties

NdFeB-based permanent magnets have the highest maximum energy products, but their low Curie temperatures limit their applications. Alnico permanent magnets have relatively modest magnetic energy products, but have very high Curie and working temperatures. In this manuscript, we report new NdPrFeB/Alnico nanocomposite magnetic materials with enhanced Curie temperatures and maximum magnetic energy products. A special microstructure with the Alnico phase dispersed within the NdPrFeB phase results in excellent magnetic properties. The Curie temperature of the composite alloys is enhanced from 570 K to 643 K by adding 25% low-grade Alnico. The enhanced Curie temperature which results from the cobalt and nickel replacement for iron in the 2:14:1 phase, and the molecular field penetration improves the temperature stability of the magnets. The beneficial heterogeneous distribution of the constituent phases and elements was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction spectroscopy analyses. The maximum energy product is enhanced from 110 kJ/m3 to 133 kJ/m3. Magnetostatic interaction and exchange interaction in the alloys were studied by means of Henkel plots and minor hysteresis loop measurements. Despite the high content of the Alnico phase with relatively large special dimensions, there were no kinks in the demagnetization curves either at 300 K or 400 K. Furthermore, no kink was noted at low and high applied fields in the demagnetization-magnetization process which shows the effective magnetic interactions. This work would elucidate the development of nanocomposite magnetic material with high energy product without the use of heavy rare earths and with the economical use of Nd and Pr.