Grain Growth Behavior in Sintered Nd-Fe-B Magnets

The Nd2Fe14B grain growth behavior in sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets was quantitatively described. The effects of sintering temperature and time, and alloy powder size and its distribution on grain growth process were analyzed. Hence, possible grain growth mechanisms in these magnets were qualitatively discussed. The Nd2Fe14B grain growth proceeded at quite a high rate in the initial 0 ∼ 1 h of sintering and from then onwards the grain growth rate decreased. A large average particle size or a wide particle size distribution of initial alloy powders was found to remarkably accelerate the grain growth process and even result in the occurrence of abnormal grain growth. On the basis of experimental results, two grain growth mechanisms were considered to operate during sintering of Nd-Fe-B magnets, that is, dissolution and re-precipitation of Nd2Fe14B particles, and Nd2Fe14B particle growth by coalescence. It was believed that Nd2Fe14B particle growth by coalescence not only produced a large average grain size and a wide grain size distribution, but also was the fundamental reason for the formation of abnormally large grains in the microstructure of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.