High Temperature Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z/Fe-Co Nanocomposite Permanent Magnets with High Energy Density

Air Force seeks innovative permanent magnets for high temperature application in air and space vehicles. This requires the use of novel permanent magnets with high coercivity and saturation magnetization up to 450oC with an energy product of 30 MGOe. Inframat Corporation proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating an exchange-spring coupled Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z/Co-Fe nanocomposite permanent magnet with operating temperature up to 500oC. In this project, a chemical synthesis and coating method will be utilized to fabricate soft/hard magnetic composites. The high-temperature hard-magnetic phase Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z will be fabricated using a powder metallurgy combined with intensive milling. Nanostructured soft magnetic Co-Fe with high saturation magnetization will be coated onto the surface of the Sm(Co,Fe,Cu, Zr)z nanoparticles using chemical deposition to form a uniform Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,TM)z/Co-Fe nanocomposite. The exchange-spring quantum mechanical effect will be accomplished by consolidation of the nanocomposite powders into a fully dense bulk material. The proposed procedures will efficiently control the microstructure, morphology and interface of the composite, and significantly enhance the exchange-coupling effects, leading to a large remanence, high coercivity and high energy density at elevated temperature. The proposed nanocomposite magnet will impact the high technology applications. This program is a joint collaboration between Inframat and University of Texas at Arlington.