Development of a High-Performance-Ferrite Magnet Fabrication Process without Sintering Additives

Abstract

Sintered M-type hexaferrites with the chemical formula of Sr0.3Ca0.4La0.3Fe9.8Co0.2-xMnxSi0.135O19-d (<i>x</i> = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) and Sr0.3Ca0.4La0.3Fe9.8-yCo0.2MnySi0.135O19-d (<i>y</i> = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) were prepared by conventional solid station reaction routes. A high sintering density of more than 95% of the theoretical density was achieved in all hexaferrite samples when calcination was carried out at 1100 oC for 4 h, followed by sintering at 1230-1250 oC for 2 h without the use of sintering additives. High saturation magnetization and coercivity were achieved simultaneously at the <i>x</i> = 0.05 composition, where Mn replaces part of the Co. The secondary phase Fe2O3 generated by the initial addition of SiO2 was gradually reduced when the Fe contented was decreased in the Sr0.3Ca0.4La0.3Fe9.8-zCo0.15Mn0.05Si0.135O19-d samples, and a single M-type hexaferrite phase was confirmed in the Sr0.3Ca0.4La0.3Fe8.3Co0.15Mn0.05Si0.135O19-d (<i>z</i> = 1.5) sample, which also exhibited optimized hard magnetic properties, with a saturation magnetization of 4581 G and coercivity of 4771 Oe. Anisotropic sintered magnets were fabricated using the optimized composition, and showed excellent hard magnetic properties, with a remanent magnetic flux density of 4400 G and intrinsic coercivity of 4118 Oe, and a maximum energy product of 4.72 M·G·Oe. This result is very promising because high magnet performance can be achieved with a single batch process without the need for sintering additives during the process.