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As an organic binder for bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets, epoxy resin (EP) has poor heat resistance but good moisture resistance, while sodium silicate (SS) has poor moisture absorption but better heat resistance and corrosion resistance. In order to improve high temperature stability and decrease moisture absorption of bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets, EP/SS composites were applied as the binder to prepare bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets. The magnetic properties, moisture absorption, corrosion resistance, compressive strength and microstructure of composite bonded magnets were investigated. The results show that EP/SS bonded magnets can obtain excellent magnetic properties at room temperature, and even useable magnetic properties a thigh temperature environments at 200 °C. EP/SS composite binder effectively improves heat resistance and corrosion resistance of bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets, and reduces the hygroscopic properties. The molecule of sodium silicateis rigid and keeps it original shape at high temperature environments. In addition, SS in composite binder improves the mobility of the magnetic powders during the pre-pressing process, which makes the magnetic powders attain a more regular structure. These two factors will increase the mechanical properties. Moreover, sodium silicate in the composite binder can also cover the surfaces protecting the magnetic powders from oxidation and corrosion. EP in composite binder can cover SS surface to reduce the water absorption of SS as epoxy is a hydrophobic material. The EDX analysis shows that the composite binder has accumulated in the gaps of the magnet powders, which not only improves heat resistance and corrosion resistance, but also increases the mechanical properties. Therefore, EP/SS composite binder endows bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets excellent comprehensive properties.

Bonded neodymium iron boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets with excellent properties were prepared by using waterborne-epoxy resin/sodium silicate composite binder (W-EP/SS). The results show that this composite binder can endow the bonded magnets with high temperature resistance as well as strong corrosion resistance. In addition, the compressive strength of W-EP/SS bonded magnet is higher than other types of bonded magnets. W-EP/SS composite binder has excellent homogeneity, which can coat the magnetic powders uniformly during mixing and curing, and therefore forms a protective thin film on the surface of the magnet to prevent thermal oxidation under high temperature conditions as well as corrosion during chemical treatments. Moreover, the W-EP/SS composite binder, which combines the toughness of epoxy resin with the rigidity of sodium silicate, endows bonded magnets better mechanical properties. It is attributed to the co-existence of Si-O-Si and C-O-C network structure in the W-EP/SS. Therefore, it is expected that W-EP/SS composite binder will provide a broader application prospects for future bonded magnets.

In present study, sodium silicate, a kind of heat-resistant binder, was used to prepare bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets with improved thermal stability and mechanical strength. Effect of curing temperature and curing time of the new binder to the magnetic properties, microstructure, and mechanical strength of the magnets was systematically investigated. Fracture surface morphology observation show that sodium silicate in bonded magnets could completely be cured at 175 °C for 40 min, and the magnets prepared under this condition exhibit optimal properties. They exhibit usable magnetic properties of B r of 4.66 kGs, H cj of 4.84 kOe, and (BH) max of 4.06 MGOe at 200 °C. Moreover, the magnets possess high compressive strength of 63 MPa.

The features of the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) of the tropical Indian Ocean are studied using several sources of observational data. It is shown that there are intraseasonal oscillations in the tropical Indian Ocean, but their periods vary with latitude: the major period is about 20–30 days in the equatorial region, about 30–50 days at 10°N/10°S latitude and 60–90 days at 20°N/20°S latitude. The intensity of the ISO increases with latitude but the speed of the westward propagation of the ISO decreases with latitude. The intensity and propagation speed of the ISO have clear interannual variation features. The atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation over the tropical Indian Ocean is also analyzed and compared with the oceanic intraseasonal oscillation. It is shown that the major period is in the range 30–60 days and the intensity and period of the atmospheric ISO decrease with latitude slightly. The zonal propagation of the atmospheric ISO also has some differences with the oceanic ISO. It is necessary to study the relationship between the atmospheric ISO and oceanic ISO in the tropical Indian Ocean deeply.

A general form of an equation that “explicitly” diagnoses SST change is derived. All other equations in wide use are its special case. Combining with the data from an ocean general circulation model (MOM2) with an integration of 10 years (1987–1996), the relative importances of various processes that determine seasonal variations of SST in the tropical Indian Ocean are compared mainly for January, April, July and October. The main results are as follows. (1) The net surface heat flux is the most important factor affecting SST over the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the region south of the equator in January; in April, its influence covers almost the whole region studied; whereas in July and October, this term shows significance only in the regions south of 10°S and north of the equator, respectively. (2) The horizontal advection dominates in the East African-Arabian coast and the region around the equator in January and July; in October, the region is located south of 10°S. (3) The entrainment is significant only in a narrow band centered on 10° S in April and the coastal region around the Arabian Sea and the equator in July. (4) As for SST, it decreases in January and July but increases in April and October in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, showing a (asymmetrical) semiannual variability; by contrast, the SST in the region south of the equator has an annual variability, decreasing in April and July and increasing in October and January.

The shallow meridional overturning circulation (upper 1000 m) in the northern Indian Ocean and its interannual variability are studied, based on a global ocean circulation model (MOM2) with an integration of 10 years (1987-1996). It is shown that the shallow meridional overturning circulation has a prominent seasonal reversal characteristic. In winter, the flow is northward in the upper layer and returns southward at great depth. In summer, the deep northward inflow upwells north of the equator and returns southward in the Ekman layer. In the annual mean, the northward inflow returns through two branches: one is a southward flow in the Ekman layer, the other is a flow that sinks near 10°N and returns southward between 500 m and 1000 m. There is significant interannual variability in the shallow meridional overturning circulation, with a stronger (weaker) one in 1989 (1991) and with a period of about four years. The interannual variability of the shallow meridional overturning circulation is intimately related to that of the surface wind stress. Several indices are proposed to describe the anomaly of this circulation associated with the cross-equatorial part.

The Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) package is used to better understand the variabilities of surface current transport in the Tropical Pacific Ocean from 1950 to 1999. Seasonal variation, internnual and decadal variability analyses are conducted on the three major surface currents of the Tropical Pacific Ocean: the North Equatorial Current (NEC), the North Equatorial Countecurrent (NECC), and the South Equatorial Current (SEC). The transport of SEC is quite larger than those of NEC and NECC. The SEC has two maximums in February and August. The NEC has a small annual variation. The NECC has a maximum in October and is very weak in March and April. All currents have remarkable interannual and decadal variabilities. The variabilities of the NEC and the SEC related to the winds over them well, but the relationship between the NECC and the wind over it is not close. Analysis related to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) suggests that before El Nino (La Nina) the SEC is weaker (stronger) and the NECC is stronger (weaker), after El Nino (La Nina) the SEC is stronger (weaker) and the SEC is weaker (stronger). There is no notable relationship between the NEC and ENSO.