Glass-Forming Ability and Corrosion Resistance of Al88Y8−xFe4+x (x = 0, 1, 2 at.%) Alloys

The effect of iron and yttrium additions on glass forming ability and corrosion resistance of Al₈₈Y_8-xFe_4+x (x = 0, 1, 2 at.%) alloys in the form of ingots and melt-spun ribbons was investigated. The crystalline multiphase structure of ingots and amorphous-crystalline structure of ribbons were examined by a number of analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It was confirmed that the higher Fe additions contributed to formation of amorphous structures. The impact of chemical composition and structure of alloys on their corrosion resistance was characterized by electrochemical tests in 3.5% NaCl solution at 25 °C. The identification of the mechanism of chemical reactions taking place during polarization test along with the morphology and internal structure of the surface oxide films generated was performed. It was revealed that the best corrosion resistance was achieved for the Al₈₈Y₇Fe₅ alloy in the form of ribbon, which exhibited the lowest corrosion current density (j_corr = 0.09 μA/cm²) and the highest polarization resistance (R_p = 96.7 kΩ∙cm²).     

Effect of Cu Substitution and Heat Treatment on Phase Formation and Magnetic Properties of Sm12Co88−xCux Melt-Spun Ribbons

The phase structure and microstructure of Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10; at.%) as-cast alloys and melt-spun ribbons prepared via the arc-melting method and melt-spun technology were studied experimentally by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results reveal that the Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x (x = 0) as-cast alloy contains Sm₂Co₁₇ and Sm₅Co₁₉ phases, while the Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x (x = 2) as-cast alloy is composed of Sm₂Co₁₇, Sm₂Co₇ and Sm(Co, Cu)₅ phases. Sm₂Co₁₇ and Sm(Co, Cu)₅ phases are detected in Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x (x = 4, 6, 8, 10) as-cast alloys. Meanwhile, Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x ribbons show a single SmCo₇ phase, which is still formed in the ribbons annealed at 1023 K for one hour. After annealed at 1123 K for two hours, cooled slowly down to 673 K at 0.5 K/min and then kept for four hours, the ribbons are composed of Sm₂Co₁₇ and Sm(Co, Cu)₅ phases. The magnetic measurements of Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x ribbons were performed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results exhibit that the maximum magnetic energy product ((BH)_max), the coercivity (H_cj) and the remanence (B_r) of the Sm₁₂Co_88−xCu_x ribbons increase generally with the increase in Cu substitution. In particular, the magnetic properties of the ribbons annealed at 1123 K and 673 K increase significantly with the increase in Cu substitution, resulting from the increase in the volume fraction of the formed Sm(Co, Cu)₅ phase after heat treatment.     

Magnetic and Magneto-Caloric Properties of the Amorphous Fe92−xZr8Bx Ribbons

Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of the amorphous Fe_92−xZr₈B_x ribbons were studied in this work. Fully amorphous Fe₈₉Zr₈B₃, Fe₈₈Zr₈B₄, and Fe₈₇Zr₈B₅ ribbons were fabricated. The Curie temperature (T_c), saturation magnetization (M_s), and the maximum entropy change with the variation of a magnetic field (−ΔS_m^peak) of the glassy ribbons were significantly improved by the boron addition. The mechanism for the enhanced T_c and −ΔS_m^peak by boron addition was studied.     

Influence of Dissolving Fe–Nb–B–Dy Alloys in Zirconium on Phase Structure,Microstructure and Magnetic Properties

This paper refers to the structural and magnetic properties of [(Fe₈₀Nb₆B₁₄)_0.88Dy_0.12]_1−xZr_x (x = 0; 0.01; 0.02; 0.05; 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.5) alloys obtained by the vacuum mold suction casting method. The analysis of the phase contribution indicated a change in the compositions of the alloys. For x < 0.05, occurrence of the dominant Dy₂Fe₁₄B phase was observed, while a further increase in the Zr content led to the increasing contribution of the Fe–Zr compounds and, simultaneously, separation of crystalline Dy. The dilution of (Fe₈₀Nb₆B₁₄)_0.88Dy_0.12 in Zr strongly influenced the magnetization processes of the examined alloys. Generally, with the increasing x parameter, we observed a decrease in coercivity; however, the unexpected increase in magnetic saturation and remanence for x = 0.2 and x = 0.3 was shown and discussed.     

Microstructure and Its Effect on the Magnetic,Magnetocaloric and Magnetostrictive Properties of Tb55Co30Fe15 Glassy Ribbons

In the present work, the microstructure and its effect on the magnetic, magnetocaloric, and magnetoelastic properties of the Tb₅₅Co₃₀Fe₁₅ melt-spun ribbon were investigated. The ribbon exhibits typical amorphous characteristics in its X-ray diffraction examination and differential scanning calorimetry measurement. However, the magnetic properties of the ribbon indicate that the ribbon is inhomogeneous in the nanoscale, as ascertained by a high-resolution electron microscope. Compared to the Tb₅₅Co₄₅ amorphous alloy, the Tb₅₅Co₃₀Fe₁₅ ribbon shows poor magnetocaloric properties but outstanding magnetostriction. A rather high value of reversible magnetostriction up to 788 ppm under 5 T was obtained. The mechanism for the formation of nanoparticles and its effect on the magnetocaloric and magnetostrictive properties were investigated.     

Microstructure and Magnetocaloric Effect by Doping C in La-Fe-Si Ribbons

The melt-spun ribbons of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5C_x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) compounds are prepared by the melt fast-quenching method. The doping of C is beneficial to the nucleation and precipitation of the La (Fe, Si)₁₃ phase, which is indicated by the microstructure observation and the elemental analysis. Subsequently, the ribbons of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5C_0.2 are annealed at different times, and the phase composition, the microstructures, and the magnetic properties are investigated. The LaFe_11.5Si_1.5C_0.2 ribbons annealed at 1273 K for 2 h achieved the best magnetic properties, and the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change with a value of 9.45 J/(kg·K) upon an applied field of 1.5 T at an increased Curie temperature 255 K.     

Micropowder Ca2YMgScSi3O12:Ce Silicate Garnet as an Efficient Light Converter for White LEDs

This work is dedicated to the crystallization and luminescent properties of a prospective Ca₂YMgScSi₃O₁₂:Ce (CYMSSG:Ce) micropowder (MP) phosphor converter (pc) for a white light–emitting LED (WLED). The set of MP samples was obtained by conventional solid-phase synthesis using different amounts of B₂O₃ flux in the 1–5 mole percentage range. The luminescent properties of the CYMSSG:Ce MPs were investigated at different Ce³⁺ concentrations in the 1–5 atomic percentage range. The formation of several Ce³⁺ multicenters in the CYMSSG:Ce MPs was detected in the emission and excitation spectra as well as the decay kinetics of the Ce³⁺ luminescence. The creation of the Ce³⁺ multicenters in CYMSSG:Ce garnet results from: (i) the substitution by the Ce³⁺ ions of the heterovalent Ca²⁺ and Y³⁺ cations in the dodecahedral position of the garnet host; (ii) the inhomogeneous local environment of the Ce³⁺ ions when the octahedral positions of the garnet are replaced by heterovalent Mg²⁺ and Sc³⁺ cations and the tetrahedral positions are replaced by Si⁴⁺ cations. The presence of Ce³⁺ multicenters significantly enhances the Ce³⁺ emission band in the red range in comparison with conventional YAG:Ce phosphor. Prototypes of the WLEDs were also created in this work by using CYMSSG:Ce MP films as phosphor converters. Furthermore, the dependence of the photoconversion properties on the layer thickness of the CYMSSG:Ce MP was studied as well. The changes in the MP layer thickness enable the tuning of the white light thons from cold white/daylight to neutral white. The obtained results are encouraging and can be useful for the development of a novel generation of pcs for WLEDs.     

Role of Nanocrystallites of Al-Based Glasses and H2O2 in Degradation Azo Dyes

Al-based metallic glasses have a special atomic structure and should have a unique degradation ability in azo dye solutions. The Al₈₈Ni₉Y₃ (Y3), Al₈₅Ni₉Y₆ (Y6) and Al₈₂Ni₉Y₉ (Y9) glassy ribbons are melt spun and used in degrading methyl orange (MO) azo dye solution with adding H₂O₂. With increasing c_Y, the as-spun ribbons have an increasing GFA (glass formability) and gradually decreased the degradation rate of MO solution. TEM (transmission electron microscopy) results show that the Y3 ribbon has nano-scale crystallites, which may form the channels to transport elements to the surface for degrading the MO solution. After adding H₂O₂, the degradation efficiency of Al-based glasses is improved and the Y6 ribbon has formed nano-scale crystallites embedded in the amorphous matrix and it has the largest improvement in MO solution degradation. These results indicate that forming nano-scale crystallites and adding H₂O₂ are effective methods to improve the degradation ability of Al-based glasses in azo dye solutions.     

Study of Ce,Ca, Fe,and Mn-Doped LaCoO3 Perovskite Oxide for the Four-Way Purification of PM,NOx, CO,and HC from Diesel Engine Exhaust

Perovskite-type catalysts were widely used in the field of automobile exhaust purification due to their inherent physicochemical properties and excellent doping characteristics. A series of La_1−xM_xCo_1−yN_yO₃ (M = Ce, Ca; N = Fe, Mn) perovskite-type catalyst samples were prepared by sol-gel method for the four-way purification of PM, NO_x, CO, and HC emitted by diesel exhaust. The activity of catalyst samples was tested by simulation experiments and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). Catalyst samples were characterized by means of XRD, FT-IR, SEM, BET, and XPS analysis. The results demonstrated that the perovskite-type catalyst samples with a particle pore size of 3–5 μm can be prepared by sol-gel method. When A-site of LaCoO₃ perovskite-type oxide was doped by cerium ions, the catalyst samples produced small distortion. The doping of cerium ions to A-site was more conducive to the four-way purification of diesel exhaust than calcium ions. La_0.8Ce_0.2CoO₃ perovskite-type samples showed the best purification efficiency, and the purification efficiencies of PM, NO_x, CO, and HC were 90%, 85%, 94%, and 100%, respectively. When the B-site of La_0.8Ce_0.2CoO₃ perovskite was doped with iron ions, the purification efficiency of catalyst samples for PM and NO_x can be further enhanced. When the B-site of La_0.8Ce_0.2CoO₃ perovskite was doped with manganese ions, the purification efficiency of the catalyst samples for PM can be further enhanced. It can be seen from the simulation experiments that La_0.8Ce_0.2Co_0.7Fe_0.3O₃ perovskite was the best doping amount, and the purification efficiencies of PM, NO_x, CO, and HC were 95%, 92%, 94%, and 100%, respectively.     

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Spherical Nd3+ Substituted ZnFe2O4 Nanoparticles

In this study, nanocrystalline ZnNd_xFe_2−xO₄ ferrites with x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 were fabricated and used as a catalyst for dye removal potential. The effect of Nd³⁺ ions substitution on the structural, optical and photo-Fenton activity of ZnNd_xFe_2−xO₄ has been investigated. The addition of Nd³⁺ ions caused a decrease in the grain size of ferrites, the reduction of the optical bandgap energies and thus could be well exploited for the catalytic study. The photocatalytic activity of the ferrite samples was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of H₂O₂ under visible light radiation. The results indicated that the ZnNd_xFe_2−xO₄ samples exhibited higher removal efficiencies than the pure ZnFe₂O₄ ferrites. The highest degradation efficiency was 98.00%, attained after 210 min using the ZnNd_0.03Fe_1.97O₄ sample. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the ZnFe₂O₄ doped with Nd³⁺ is explained due to the efficient separation mechanism of photoinduced electron and holes. The effect of various factors (H₂O₂ oxidant concentration and catalyst loading) on the degradation of RhB dye was clarified.     

Effect of Co Substitution and Thermo-Magnetic Treatment on the Structure and Induced Magnetic Anisotropy of Fe84.5−xCoxNb5B8.5P2 Nanocrystalline Alloys

In the present work, we investigated in detail the thermal/crystallization behavior and magnetic properties of materials with Fe_84.5-xCo_xNb₅B_8.5P₂ (x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 at.%) composition. The amorphous ribbons were manufactured on a semi-industrial scale by the melt-spinning technique. The subsequent nanocrystallization processes were carried out under different conditions (with/without magnetic field). The comprehensive studies have been carried out using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, hysteresis loop analyses, vibrating sample magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Moreover, the frequency (up to 300 kHz) dependence of power losses and permeability at a magnetic induction up to 0.9 T was investigated. On the basis of some of the results obtained, we calculated the values of the activation energies and the induced magnetic anisotropies. The X-ray diffraction results confirm the surface crystallization effect previously observed for phosphorous-containing alloys. The in situ microscopic observations of crystallization describe this process in detail in accordance with the calorimetry results. Furthermore, the effect of Co content on the phase composition and the influence of annealing in an external magnetic field on magnetic properties, including the orientation of the magnetic spins, have been studied using various magnetic techniques. Finally, nanocrystalline Fe_64.5Co₂₀Nb₅B_8.5P₂ cores were prepared after transverse thermo-magnetic heat treatment and installed in industrially available portable heating equipment.     

Ce Filling Limit and Its Influence on Thermoelectric Performance of Fe3CoSb12-Based Skutterudite Grown by a Temperature Gradient Zone Melting Method

CoSb₃-based skutterudite is a promising mid-temperature thermoelectric material. However, the high lattice thermal conductivity limits its further application. Filling is one of the most effective methods to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. In this study, we investigate the Ce filling limit and its influence on thermoelectric properties of p-type Fe₃CoSb₁₂-based skutterudites grown by a temperature gradient zone melting (TGZM) method. Crystal structure and composition characterization suggests that a maximum filling fraction of Ce reaches 0.73 in a composition of Ce_0.73Fe_2.73Co_1.18Sb₁₂ prepared by the TGZM method. The Ce filling reduces the carrier concentration to 1.03 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ in the Ce_1.25Fe₃CoSb₁₂, leading to an increased Seebeck coefficient. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicates that the Ce-filling introduces an impurity level near the Fermi level. Moreover, the rattling effect of the Ce fillers strengthens the short-wavelength phonon scattering and reduces the lattice thermal conductivity to 0.91 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. These effects induce a maximum Seebeck coefficient of 168 μV K⁻¹ and a lowest κ of 1.52 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 693 K in the Ce_1.25Fe₃CoSb₁₂, leading to a peak zT value of 0.65, which is 9 times higher than that of the unfilled Fe₃CoSb₁₂.     

Theoretical Prediction and Experimental Validation of the Glass-Forming Ability and Magnetic Properties of Fe-Si-B Metallic Glasses from Atomic Structures

Developing new soft magnetic amorphous alloys with a low cost and high saturation magnetization (B_s) in a simple alloy system has attracted substantial attention for industrialization and commercialization. Herein, the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermodynamic properties, soft magnetic properties, and atomic structures of Fe_80+xSi_5−xB₁₅ (x = 0–4) amorphous soft magnetic alloys were investigated by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and experiments. The pair distribution function (PDF), Voronoi polyhedron (VP), coordination number (CN), and chemical short- range order (CSRO) were analyzed based on the AIMD simulations for elucidating the correlations between the atomic structures with the glass-forming ability and magnetic properties. For the studied compositions, the Fe₈₂Si₃B₁₅ amorphous alloy was found to exhibit the strongest solute–solute avoidance effect, the longest Fe-Fe bond, a relatively high partial CN for the Fe-Fe pair, and the most pronounced tendency to form more stable clusters. The simulation results indicated that Fe₈₂Si₃B₁₅ was the optimum composition balancing the saturation magnetization and the GFA. This prediction was confirmed by experimental observations. The presented work provides a reference for synthesizing new Fe-Si-B magnetic amorphous alloys.     

The Dielectric Constant of Ba6−3x(Sm1−yNdy)8+2xTi18O54 (x = 2/3) Ceramics for Microwave Communication by Linear Regression Analysis

The electronics related to the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) are projected to possess significant market potential. High dielectric constant microwave ceramics used as filters and resonators in 5G have thus attracted great attention. The Ba_6−3x(Sm_1−yNd_y)_8+2xTi₁₈O₅₄ (x = 2/3) ceramic system has aroused people’s interest due to its underlying excellent microwave dielectric properties. In this paper, the relationships between the dielectric constant, Nd-doped content, sintering temperature and the density of Ba_6−3x(Sm_1−yNd_y)_8+2xTi₁₈O₅₄ (x = 2/3) ceramics were studied. The linear regression equation was established by statistical product and service solution (SPSS) data analysis software, and the factors affecting the dielectric constant have been analyzed by using the enter and stepwise methods, respectively. It is found that the model established by the stepwise method is practically significant with Y = −71.168 + 6.946x₁ + 25.799x₃, where Y, x₁ and x₃ represent the dielectric constant, Nd content and the density, respectively. According to this model, the influence of density on the dielectric constant is greater than that of Nd doping concentration. We bring the linear regression analysis method into the research field of microwave dielectric ceramics, hoping to provide an instructive for the optimization of ceramic technology.     

Wide Concentration Range of Tb3+ Doping Influence on Scintillation Properties of (Ce,Tb, Gd)3Ga2Al3O12 Crystals Grown by the Optical Floating Zone Method

To obtain a deeper understand of the energy transfer mechanism between Ce³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions in the aluminum garnet hosts, (Ce, Tb, Gd)₃Ga₂Al₃O₁₂ (GGAG:Ce, Tb) single crystals grown by the optical floating zone (OFZ) method were investigated systematically in a wide range of Tb³⁺ doping concentration (1–66 at.%). Among those, crystal with 7 at.% Tb reached a single garnet phase while the crystals with other Tb³⁺ concentrations are mixed phases of garnet and perovskite. Obvious Ce and Ga loss can be observed by an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS) technology. The absorption bands belonging to both Ce³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions can be observed in all crystals. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show the presence of an efficient energy transfer from the Tb³⁺ to Ce³⁺ and the gradually quenching effect with increasing of Tb³⁺ concentration. GGAG: 1% Ce³⁺, 7% Tb³⁺ crystal was found to possess the highest PL intensity under excitation of 450 nm. The maximum light yield (LY) reaches 18,941 pho/MeV. The improved luminescent and scintillation characteristics indicate that the cation engineering of Tb³⁺ can optimize the photoconversion performance of GGAG:Ce.     

Influence of Fe and Cu Co-Doping on Structural,Magnetic and Electrochemical Properties of CeO2 Nanoparticles

The nanoparticles of CeO₂, Ce_0.98Fe_0.02O₂, and Ce_0.78Fe_0.02Cu_0.20O₂ were synthesized using the co-precipitation-synthesis technique. The effect of co-doping of Fe and Cu on structural, optical, and magnetic properties as well as specific capacitance have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, dc magnetization, and electrochemical measurements at room temperature. The results of the XRD analysis infer that all the samples have a single-phase nature and exclude the formation of any extra phase. Particle size has been found to reduce as a result of doping and co-doping. The smallest particle size was obtained to be 5.59 nm for Ce_0.78Fe_0.02Cu_0.20O₂. The particles show a spherical-shape morphology. Raman active modes, corresponding to CeO₂, were observed in the Raman spectra, with noticeable shifting with doping and co-doping indicating the presence of defect states. The bandgap, calculated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, showed relatively low bandgap energy (1.7 eV). The dc magnetization results indicate the enhancement of the magnetic moment in the samples, with doping and co-doping. The highest value of saturation magnetization (1.3 × 10⁻² emu/g) has been found for Ce_0.78Fe_0.02Cu_0.20O₂ nanoparticles. The electrochemical behavior studied using cyclic-voltammetry (CV) measurements showed that the Ce_0.98Fe_0.02O₂ electrode exhibits superior-specific capacitance (~532 F g⁻¹) along with capacitance retention of ~94% for 1000 cycles.     

Lanthanum and Manganese Co-Doping Effects on Structural,Morphological, and Magnetic Properties of Sol-Gel Derived BiFeO3

In this work, lanthanum and manganese co-substitution effects on different properties of bismuth ferrite solid solutions Bi_1-xLa_xFe_0.85Mn_0.15O₃ (x from 0 to 1) prepared by a sol-gel synthetic approach have been investigated. It was observed that the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of obtained specimens are influenced by the amount of introduced La³⁺ ions. Surprisingly, only the compound with a composition of BiFe_0.85Mn_0.15O₃ was not monophasic, and the presence of neighboring phases was determined from X-ray diffraction analysis and Mössbauer measurements. Structural transitions from orthorhombic to cubic and back to orthorhombic were also observed depending on the La³⁺ amount. Antiferromagnetic behaviour was observed for all of the samples, with the highest magnetisation values for Bi_0.5La_0.5Fe_0.85Mn_0.15O₃. Additionally, structural attributes and morphological features were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively.     

Effects of the Addition of Co or Ni Atoms on Structure and Magnetism of FeB Amorphous Alloy: Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The effects of the substitution of Fe by Co or Ni on both the structure and the magnetic properties of FeB amorphous alloy were investigated using first-principle molecular dynamics. The pair distribution function, Voronoi polyhedra, and density of states of Fe_80−xTM_xB₂₀ (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 at.%, TM(Transition Metal): Co, Ni) amorphous alloys were calculated. The results show that with the increase in Co content, the saturation magnetization of Fe_80−xCo_xB₂₀ (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 at.%) amorphous alloys initially increases and then decreases upon reaching the maximum at x = 10 at.%, while for Fe_80−xNi_xB₂₀ (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 at.%), the saturation magnetization decreases monotonously with the increase in Ni content. Accordingly, for the two kinds of amorphous alloys, the obtained simulation results on the variation trends of the saturation magnetization with the change in alloy composition are in good agreement with the experimental observation. Furthermore, the relative maximum magnetic moment was recorded for Fe₇₀Co₁₀B₂₀ amorphous alloy, due to the induced increased magnetic moments of the Fe atoms surrounding the Co atom in the case of low Co dopant, as well as the increase in the exchange splitting energy caused by the enhancement of local atomic symmetry.     

Analysis of Magneto-Optical Hysteresis Loops of Amorphous and Surface-Crystalline Fe-Based Ribbons

Three Fe-based ribbon-type samples prepared by a conventional planar flow casting process are studied from the viewpoint of the amorphous Fe₈₀Si₄B₁₆ and partially surface crystallized Fe₈₀Si₁₀B₁₀, and Fe_80.5Nb_6.9B_12.6, microstructures. Surface magnetic properties are investigated by magneto-optical Kerr microscopy, allowing the measurement of a local hysteresis loop from a selected area on the ribbon surface, and simultaneously, a domain structure corresponding to a definite point at the loop. For an amorphous sample, the changes in the slopes of hysteresis loops are related either to the size of the selected surface area, from which the loop is measured, or to the type, width, and movement of magnetic domains through this area. In the first case, the resizing of the area simulates an effect of changing the diameter of the incident laser beam on the magneto-optical properties of the ribbon. In the latter case, the observed wide-curved and fingerprint domains are responsible for markedly different shapes of the hysteresis loops at lower magnetic fields. If the surface is crystallized, the magnetic properties are more homogenous, showing typical one-jump magnetization reversal with less dependence on the size of the surface area. The magneto-optical experiments are completed by transmission electron microscopy and magnetic force microscopy.     

The Domain and Microstructure of Resin-Bonded Magnets

This paper presents domain and structure studies of bonded magnets made from nanocrystalline Nd-(Fe, Co)-B powder. The structure studies were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry. On the basis of performed qualitative and quantitative phase composition studies, it was found that investigated alloy was mainly composed of Nd₂(Fe-Co)₁₄B hard magnetic phase (98 vol%) and a small amount of Nd_1.1Fe₄B₄ paramagnetic phase (2 vol%). The best fit of grain size distribution was achieved for the lognormal function. The mean grain size determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images on the basis of grain size distribution and diffraction pattern using the Bragg equation was about ≈130 nm. HRTEM images showed that over-stoichiometric Nd was mainly distributed on the grain boundaries as a thin amorphous border of 2 nm in width. The domain structure was investigated using a scanning electron microscope and metallographic light microscope, respectively, by Bitter and Kerr methods, and by magnetic force microscopy. Domain structure studies revealed that the observed domain structure had a labyrinth shape, which is typically observed in magnets, where strong exchange interactions between grains are present. The analysis of the domain structure in different states of magnetization revealed the dynamics of the reversal magnetization process.