HD Processes in the Production of SmCo5 Permanent Magnets

The application of ‘extreme’ hydrogen-decrepitation (HD) process using high-pressure disproportionation was extended to Sm-Co5-type-alloy. The alloy with nominal composition of Sm36Co64 was treated under 1.0～2.0 MPa H2 pressure for several hours at room temperature for decrepitation. After disproportionation were high hydrogen pressures, the bulk alloys were disproportionated into particles with a size of 200. Investigations by powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD) showed, the after HD sample crystallized in the hexagonal CaCu5-type structure. The temperature dependence of pressure analysis (TPA) curve of the SmCo5 alloy showed that the hydrogen absorption temperature was about 150 ℃. Cylindrical sintered magnets of composition Sm36Co64 were prepared using HD ball milled, isostatic pressing, vacuum sintering and subsequent heat treatment. The demagnetization curves showed that the HD processes could improve the magnetic properties and squareness factor of the SmCo5 sintered magnet.