Analysis of Neodymium Sintered Magnets Produced by Grain Boundary Diffusion Process

Introduction

Neodymium magnets display the strongest magnetic characteristics among all rare earth magnets. Discovered in 1982, they are now used in a wide range of applications, including not only the speakers of mobile phones and hard disk drives of notebook computers, but also motors in hybrid automobiles, electric vehicles, and household electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air-conditioners. Accompanying recent requirements for downsizing and weight reduction in electronic equipment for energy conservation, both demand for neodymium magnets and their range of applications have grown rapidly, and applications extend even to medical MRI systems. For this reason, more advanced technologies for achieving higher heat resistance and coercivity in neodymium magnets are demanded, and research and development are progressing. This article introduces an example of analysis of grain boundary diffusion-treated neodymium sintered magnets using a Shimadzu EPMA™ electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA-8050G, hereinafter, EPMA).

March 17, 2020 GMT