The production of high coercivity cast magnets using the HDD process

Nd‐Fe‐B as‐cast alloys in the form of small ingots 4–5 mm thick and with composition Nd2.1Fe14B were transformed into high coercivity magnets using the hydrogenation disproportionation desorption (HDD) process without decrepitation of the blocks taking place. Magnetic measurements revealed that it was possible to produce blocks with coercivity of ∼780 kA m−1, remanence of ∼680 mT and a BHmax of ∼68 kJ m−3 (8.6 MGOe). The high coercivities in these samples were attributed to the disproportionation and subsequent recrystallization process. SEM metallographs of the samples processed at optimum temperature revealed an absence of the original large (∼200 μm) grains of Nd2Fe14B containing areas of free iron; instead an extremely fine grained, submicron, microstructure of single phase Nd2Fe14B grains was observed. In samples processed at temperatures higher than that found to be the optimum, larger Nd2Fe14B grains with extremely rectangular morphologies could be observed growing from surrounding submicron matrix...