Magnetomechanical properties of epoxy-bonded Sm1−xNdxFe1.55 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.56) pseudo-1–3 magnetostrictive particulate composites

Pseudo-1–3 magnetostrictive particulate composites consisting of light rare earth (Sm and Nd)-based magnetostrictive Sm1−xNdxFe1.55 particles with the Nd content x of 0–0.56 and randomly distributed sizes of 10–180 μm embedded and aligned in a passive epoxy matrix are fabricated using the particulate volume fraction of 0.5. The quasistatic magnetomechanical properties of the composites are investigated and the results are compared with their monolithic alloys for various x. The composites exhibit similar qualitative trends in properties with the alloys for all x. The Sm0.92Nd0.08Fe1.55 composite shows a large unsaturated magnetostriction λ of −530 ppm at 500 kA/m and a high piezomagnetic coefficient d33 of −2.0 nm/A at 100 kA/m as a result of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy compensation between Sm3+ and Nd3+ ions in the Sm0.92Nd0.08Fe1.55 alloy.

Research highlights
► We fabricate pseudo-1−3 magnetostrictive particulate composites by embedding and aligning light rare earth (Sm and Nd)-based magnetostrictive Sm1–xNdxFe1.55 (x = 0–0.56) particles in a passive epoxy matrix.
► We measure the quasistatic magnetomechanical properties of the composites and compare the measured results with the monolithic alloys for various x.
► The composites exhibit similar qualitative trends in properties with the alloys for all x.
► The Sm0.92Nd0.08Fe1.55 composite shows the best negative magnetomechanical properties as a result of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy compensation between Sm3+ and Nd3+ ions in the Sm0.92Nd0.08Fe1.55 alloy.