High magnetostriction at low fields of epoxy/Tb1−xPrx(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 composites

High Pr-content Tb1−xPrx(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 magnetostrictive alloys (0.7 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) with a single cubic Laves phase have been synthesized by melt-spinning and subsequent annealing processes. The lattice parameter and the magnetization of the Tb1−xPrx(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 Laves phase increase while the Curie temperature, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and the spontaneous magnetostriction coefficient λ1 1 1 decrease with increasing Pr-content. The characteristic of the magnetostriction λa = λ‖ − λ⊥ of the epoxy/Tb1−xPrx(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 composites can be well understood by the spontaneous magnetostriction λ1 1 1 and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the Tb1−xPrx(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 alloys. The epoxy/Pr(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 composite free of high-cost Tb has a high magnetostriction of about 500 ppm at 6 kOe, suggesting that it would be a promising magnetostrictive composite material for low field application.