NdFeB Type Magnets Produced by Spark Plasma Sintering

Abstract

The shortage of dysprosium as an alloying element has directed the research on the grain size refining of NdFeB, since higher coercivities can be obtained by decreasing the grain size, without Dy addition. The Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) is a consolidation process which allows densification at lower temperatures and shorter dwell times of sintering, thus avoiding the grain growth. Therefore, the typical temperature of sintering of NdFeB magnets can be decreased from 1050°C to around 800°C, as it was evidenced by means of SPS shrinkage curves and the high densified microestructure obtained in this work.