Macroscopic phenomenon of exchange coupling and microscopic effect on magnetization reversal in sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets

Abstract Permanent magnets of Nd 13.5 Fe 79.18 M 1.52 B 5.8 and Nd 13.5 Fe 79.76 M 0.94 B 5.8 were prepared, respectively, via strip casting, jet milling and sintering followed by annealing. By adding the non-ferromagnetic elements M (Al, Cu, Ga and Zr) into the magnets, it could not only modify the microstructure, but also regulate the exchange coupling effect in the sintered magnets. From the macroscopic point of view, the recoil loops exhibit spring behavior in Nd 13.5 Fe 79.76 M 0.94 B 5.8 , indicating that the energy barrier can be overcome by the intergranular exchange coupling. From the microcosmic point of view, the exchange coupling can increase the domain wall size by suppressing the nucleation of reversed domains, and so the activation volume increases with thermal activation. In Nd 13.5 Fe 79.76 M 0.94 B 5.8 the exchange coupling effect is stronger, and both the coercivity of 15.0 kOe and the remanence of 14.3 kGs are a little higher than those of Nd 13.5 Fe 79.18 M 1.52 B 5.8 magnets in which the content of non-ferromagnetic elements is a little higher and the exchange coupling effect is weaker. Thus, the exchange coupling does not decrease the coercivity due to the exchange coupling suppressing the nucleation of reversed domains, though the microstructure is inhomogeneous in the sintered magnets of Nd 13.5 Fe 79.76 M 0.94 B 5.8 . Reducing the defect size and decreasing the defect concentration should be a practical way to improve the coercivity in Nd–Fe–B permanent magnets.