Understanding the Effect of Material Parameters on the Processability of Injection-Molded Thermoset-Based Bonded Magnets

Abstract

The applications of bonded magnets in the field of injection-molded samples can be expanded by thermoset-based polymer-bonded magnets, as thermosets provide the opportunity to comply with the demands of, for example, the chemical industry or pump systems in drive applications through to their improved chemical and thermal resistance, viscosity and creep behaviour, especially compared to thermoplastic-based magnets. This paper investigates the influence of the matrix material (epoxy resin, phenolic resin), the filler type (strontium-ferrite-oxide, neodymium-iron-boron) and the filler grade on the reaction kinetics and the viscosity. Based on the determination of the impact, the theory of the network structure is founded. The network and the cross-linked structure are essential to know, as they significantly define not only the material but also the sample behaviour. The correlation between the material system and the mechanical as well as the magnetic properties is portrayed based on the general understanding of the behaviour in terms of the reaction kinetics and the viscosity as well as the theory of the network structure. With that, a basic understanding of the correlation within the material system (matrix, filler, filler grade) and between the reaction kinetics, the network and the cross-linked structure was determined, which gives the opportunity to change the mechanical and the magnetic properties based on the analyzed impact factors and to expand the applications of bonded magnets in the field of thermoset-based ones.