Microstructural and Magnetic Improvements in Tube-Cast Pr-Fe-B-Cu Alloys Via Heat Treatments and Rapid Upset Forging

Abstract

ABSTRACTAlloys of Pr-Fe-B-Cu were cast into Cu and stainless steel tubes. It could be seen that a preferred crystallographic orientation was obtained after cooling. Fine platelets of Pr2Fe1 4B matrix phase were formed, surrounded by various grain boundary phases, and there was a significant reduction in the amount of free Fe present, in comparison to conventional slab cast alloys. In order to improve the magnetic properties in the as-cast state, two alternative routes were used. The first involved a series of two step heat treatments to develop an improved microstructure. After an optimum heat treatment of 1000 'C for 24 hours + 500°C for 3 hours, significantly improved magnetic properties were obtained for a 17.5 % Pr alloy; Br = 752 mT, Hci = 613 kAm−1 and BHmax = 96 kJm−3. The second route involved a rapid upset forging [RUF] process, with a strain rate of 11.5 s−1, to hot deform the alloys. Following post-forging heat treatments, properties of Br = 966 mT, Hci = 780 kAm−3 and BHmax = 160 kJm−3 were obtained for a 15% Pr alloy. That nature of the improvements in properties as a result of heat treatments and RUF were investigated and are discussed in the present work.