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Title: Novel mechanisms for solid-state processing and grain growth with microstructure alignment in alnico-8 based permanent magnets

Journal Article · · AIP Advances
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5007850· OSTI ID:1433667

An estimated 750,000 new hybrid electric and plug-in battery vehicles, most with permanent magnet synchronous alternating current (PMAC) drive motors, took to the road in 2016 alone. Accompanied by 40% year over year growth in the EV market significant challenges exist in producing large quantities of permanent magnets (on the order of tens of millions) for reliable, low-cost traction motors [IE Agency, Energy Technology Perspectives (2017)]. Since the rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) market is essentially 100% net import reliant in the United States and has proven to have an unstable cost and supply structure in recent years, a replacement RE-free PM material must be designed or selected, fully developed, and implemented. Alnico, with its high saturation magnetization and excellent thermal stability, appears to be uniquely suited for this task. Further, while alnico typically has been considered a relatively low coercivity hard magnet, strides have been made to increase the coercivity to levels suitable for traction drive motors [W Tang, IEEE Trans. Magn., 51 (2015)]. If a simple non-cast approach for achieving near [001] easy axis grain aligned permanent magnets can be found, this would allow massproduced final-shape anisotropic high energy product magnets suitable for usage in compact high RPM rotor designs. Therefore, a powder metallurgical approach is being explored that uses classic compression molding with “de-bind and sinter” methods, where a novel applied uniaxial loading, and an applied magnetic field may create final-shape magnets with highly textured resulting microstructures by two different mechanisms. Results indicate a positive correlation between applied uniaxial load and resulting texture (Fig. 1), along with benefits from using an applied magnetic field for improved texture, as well. Lastly, the apparent mechanisms and resulting properties will be described using closed loop hysteresisgraph measurements, EBSD orientation mapping, and high-resolution SEM.

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11358
OSTI ID:
1433667
Report Number(s):
IS-J-9627
Journal Information:
AIP Advances, Vol. 8, Issue 5; ISSN 2158-3226
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

Relation between magnetic properties and crystallographic texture of columnar Alnico 8 permanent magnets journal September 1978
Magnetic Materials and Devices for the 21st Century: Stronger, Lighter, and More Energy Efficient journal December 2010
Role of the Applied Magnetic Field on the Microstructural Evolution in Alnico 8 Alloys journal January 2014
Architecture and magnetism of alnico journal August 2014
Novel pre-alloyed powder processing of modified alnico 8: Correlation of microstructure and magnetic properties journal May 2015
Highly tuned gas atomization for controlled preparation of coarse powder. Hochleistungsgasverdüsung für die gezielte Präparation grober Pulver journal July 2010
Compression Molding and Novel Sintering Treatments for Alnico Type-8 Permanent Magnets in Near-Final Shape with Preferred Orientation journal July 2017
Prospects for Non-Rare Earth Permanent Magnets for Traction Motors and Generators journal June 2012

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