Microstructural features of strip-cast Nd(Fe,Mo)12 based alloys

Nd(Fe,Mo) 12 compounds have been considered as promising candidates for next generation permanent magnet materials because of their excellent intrinsic hard magnetic properties with a minimum usage of rare earth elements. However, achieving high coercivity in anisotropic microstructure is a big challenge, which hinders their practical applications. In this work we present the microstructural study of the strip-cast Nd(Fe,Mo) 12 -based alloy. Detailed microstructure characterizations using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that addition of Cu leads to sub-micron size 1-12 magnetic grains with Nd and Cu segregated at grain boundaries. This work provides an evidence of the issues of the microstructure of these alloys for the development of the appropriate microstructure conducting to the high coercivity in the 1-12 alloys.