Controllable nanocrystallization in amorphous Nd9Fe85B6 via combined application of severe plastic deformation and thermal annealing

The control of nanocrystal formation in amorphous alloys is of particular importance for the development of advanced nanocrystalline materials. In the present study, the authors succeeded in controlling α-Fe and Nd2Fe14B nanocrystallization processes in amorphous Nd9Fe85B6 by a combination of severe plastic deformation at room temperature and subsequent thermal annealing. The α-Fe∕Nd2Fe14B nanocomposite magnets prepared by this approach possess homogeneously distributed nanocrystals with a small size, 15nm for α-Fe phase and 26nm for Nd2Fe14B, and therefore show enhanced magnetic properties as compared to those prepared by directly annealing amorphous Nd9Fe85B6.