Influences of intergranular structure on the magnetic properties of directly cast nanocrystalline NdFeCoTiNbBC alloys.

The millimeter-sized Nd_9.5Fe_61.5Co₁₀Ti_2.5Nb_0.5B_16−xC_x (x  =  0–1.25) alloy rods with various compositions were fabricated by direct casting. Nano-sized hard phase Nd₂(FeCo)₁₄B, soft phase ɑ-FeCo, and amorphous phase were observed in all alloys. An optimized amount of carbon additions improved the magnetic properties by enhancing the glass forming ability and forming near single domain-sized Nd₂(FeCo)₁₄B grains around the rod surface. Various intergranular structures were observed in the alloys with x  =  0.25–1. Micromagnetic simulation using the images obtained from the magnetic force microscope and transition electron microscope indicates that the distribution and magnetism of the intergranular phase have an important influence on the magnetic properties and demagnetization process of the alloys. A uniformly distributed nonmagnetic intergranular amorphous phase may enhance the magnetic properties, but the coercivity decreases when the amorphous phase is magnetic. It is important to modify the structure and distribution of the inter-grain amorphous phase in order to achieve high hard magnetic properties in these alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]