Microstructure and composition in rapidly-quenched NdFeB-based hard magnet alloys

A detailed study of the microstructure and composition in hot-pressed (MQ-2) and die-upset (MQ-3) magnet alloys based on the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B composition, utilizing high resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), is reported. The initial magnetic properties of the two samples show different behaviors, which are attributed to the difference in the anisotropy of the grain structure and the grain boundaries. The hot-pressed sample shows faceted grains of the 2-14-1 phase, while die-upset sample shows plate-like grains, together with larger equiaxed grains that contain a speckling of precipitates in the grain interior. The grain structure and composition remain rather similar in the two samples. The grain boundary phase averages approximately one nanometer to more than ten nanometers in width. The thicker grain boundaries are Nd-rich, while the thinner grain boundaries in the hot-pressed sample exhibit an Fe-rich composition near that of the NdFe{sub 3} phase. Nd-rich phases are found at the grain boundary junctions of both samples, with the Nd:Fe ratio near 7:3 in the die-upset sample, and up to 3:2 in the hot-pressed sample. The significance of the microstructure and the grain boundary phases on the magnetic behavior in the two samples is discussed