Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on

RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

High (BH)max Permanent Magnets

with Near-Zero Reversible Temperature Coefficient of Br

M. Marinescu, K. McGinnis, J. F. Liu and M. H. Walmer

Electron Energy Corporation, Landisville, PA, USA

Abstract.
Blends of Sm(Co0.66Fe0.27Cu0.05Zr0.02)7.43, Gd(Co0.67Fe0.24Cu0.07Zr0.02)7.16,
Er(Co0.74Fe0.14Cu0.09Zr0.03)7.03 and Sm(Co0.63Fe0.26Cu0.08Zr0.03)5.04 powders were consolidated and
thermally processed into permanent magnets with different ratios of the rare earth elements
Gd/Er/Sm and different ratios of the total transition metals to total rare earth elements. The
optimized compositions and processing conditions resulted in reversible temperature coefficient
of residual induction, α, close to zero in the temperature range of -50 oC and 150 oC and
maximum energy product, (BH)max, of 18-20 MGOe at room temperature. High Hk, in most of
the cases over 20 kOe, makes these magnets useful in special applications such as traveling wave
tubes, accelerometers, torquers, gyroscopes, etc.

Keywords: temperature-compensated permanent magnets; reversible temperature coefficient of

residual induction; Sm2Co17 permanent magnets.

Contact author: M. Marinescu, Electron Energy Corporation, 924 Links Ave, Landisville, PA
17538, USA; tel: 717 898 2294; fax: 717 898 0660; mmarinescu@electronenergy.com

I. INTRODUCTION and 250 oC are needed in applications such

While the irreversible change with
temperature of the magnetic flux of a
permanent magnet can be avoided by
thermal stabilization, the reversible part may
become critical in applications that require a
constant magnetic flux while the service
temperature varies. The rate of the reversible
change of residual induction, Br, with
temperature ΔT, is given by the relation:
ΔBr 1
α= ⋅ ⋅ 100% (1)
Br ΔT
The typical values of α for the major classes
of permanent magnets are -0.2 %/oC for
ferrites, -0.03 to -0.02 %/oC for Alnico, -
0.11%/oC for Nd2Fe14B, -0.04 %/oC for
SmCo5 and -0.035 %/oC for Sm2Co17-type
magnets. Permanent magnets with very low
α over a temperature span between -50 oC
as traveling wave tubes, accelerometers,
torquers, gyroscopes, especially for military
and aerospace operations. Indirect methods1
of providing a more stable magnetic flux
consist in the use of a soft magnetic
temperature-compensated alloy, usually
made of nickel-iron, as a thin film over the
permanent magnet. This film controls the
leakage flux in the shunt path such that, in
the range of operating temperatures, the flux
density in the air gap remains the same.
However, a more convenient solution is the
use of temperature compensated magnets
typically based on RE-Co 1:5 and 2:17
phases (RE = rare earth). In RE-TM (TM =
transition metal) compounds when the RE is
a light rare earth element (such as Sm, Nd,
Pr, Ce), the magnetization decreases with

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 Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on
RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
increasing the temperature whereas when
the RE is a heavy rare earth element (such as
Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm), the magnetization
has a non-monotonous trend: over specific
temperature range it can increase with the
temperature rise until ultimately decreasing
to zero. The explanation for this behavior is
that the magnetic moments of light RE
sublattice couples parallel to those of TM
sublattice while for the heavy RE atoms the
coupling is antiparallel. Therefore, by
combining the two effects it is possible,
within a certain temperature range, to
achieve a near-zero reversible temperature
coefficient of residual induction.
Singular partial substitutions of Sm by
Gd , Er2,4,5, (Ho, Tm, Dy, Tb)5 were
2,3
reported to provide α values of the order of
tens of ppm/oC for particular temperature
ranges, with reasonable to good values of
maximum energy products. However, most
of the optimum compensated magnets with a
high (BH)max had a low Hk (denotes the
demagnetization field for which Br
decreases by 10%) that constrains their
practical use. Mathematical algorithms using
polynomial functions that describe the
variation of saturation magnetization with
temperature for different RE2Tm17 systems
were successfully applied to predict the
temperature coefficient of magnetization in
magnets with multiple RE elements6.
For many years, Electron Energy
Corporation has produced magnets with near
zero temperature coefficient of Br in the
temperature range of -50 oC to 150 oC. The
best temperature compensated magnets
available on the market are (SmxGd1-
x)(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z magnets with α ∼ -
0.001%/oC and (BH)max = 16 MGOe. An
increase of (BH)max up to 18 MGOe can be
achieved by shifting the Sm/Gd ratio
towards more Sm content, which has in turn
an adverse effect on α that increases up to -
0.02 %/oC.
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This article presents the results of our
recent efforts on producing 2:17 RE-Co
permanent magnets with enhanced (BH)max
and a near-zero reversible temperature
coefficient of Br by partial substitution of
Sm with Er and Gd. The processing
parameters to achieve optimum magnetic
properties are also discussed.
II. EXPERIMENT
The precursor alloys were prepared by
induction melting from pure elements. The
final composition was adjusted by blending
powders with different elemental
constituents and stoichiometries to promote
the densification by liquid phase sintering
and compensate for the loss of the rare earth
through evaporation and oxidation during
thermal processing. The compositions of the
powders were
Sm(Co0.66Fe0.27Cu0.05Zr0.02)7.43,
Gd(Co0.67Fe0.24Cu0.07Zr0.02)7.16,
Er(Co0.74Fe0.14Cu0.09Zr0.03)7.03 and
Sm(Co0.63Fe0.26Cu0.08Zr0.03)5.04
The magnets were prepared by using the
standard powder metallurgy process
consisting of powder alignment and
pressing, sintering for densification, solution
for compositional homogenization and aging
with slow cooling for development of hard
magnetic properties. The blends of powder
with average particle sizes of 2.5 micron
were aligned and consolidated by isostatic
pressing. Sintering was done in H2 in the
temperature range of Tsinter = 1185- 1225 oC
for 2h. Solution treatment was performed in
Ar in the temperature range of Tsol = 1155-
1200 oC for at least 10h. Aging was done in
Ar partial pressure at Tage = 800 to 880 oC
for 10h to 36h. The magnetic properties
were tested with a KJS HG-700
hysteresisgraph in the temperature range of
-50oC to 150oC. The rate of the reversible
change of magnetic flux with temperature
was determined using the relation (1) where
 Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on
RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Br was the close–circuit residual induction

measured with the KJS hysteresisgraph.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

By completely substituting Sm with Gd
or Er in 2:17 magnets with the typical
Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z stoichiometry, the
reversible temperature coefficient of
magnetization in an applied field of 10 kOe
is positive (magnetization increases with
increasing temperature) up to ~275oC and ~
450oC, respectively5. However, the
magnetization of the Er and Gd- completely
substituted alloys has values lower than of
the typical 2:17 Sm-Co permanent magnets
over the entire temperature range. Therefore,
the presence of all three elements may
contribute for a specific property in
RE(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z magnets. The
composition of our new magnets was
modified by blending the Sm-, Gd- and Er-
based powders that gave different Gd/Er/Sm
elemental ratios. The final z ratio was
controlled via the Sm-rich alloy (z = 5.0)
added in amounts varying from 2.5 wt% to
10 wt%. The equivalent calculated final z
ratio was in the range of 6.84 to 7.03.
The variation of the important hysteresis
parameters with the solution temperature
and aging temperature and time are shown
in Fig. 1 for magnet specimens machined
from the blocks having Gd/Er/Sm =
28/28/44. The residual induction is higher
for higher ratio z alloys while Hk is higher
for lower ratio z alloys. Higher Br
contributes to the slightly increased (BH)max
obtained for the specimens with higher ratio
z. The highest (BH)max was 17.25 MGOe Figure 1 Magnetic properties of
obtained for Tsinter = 1210 oC, Tsol= 1190oC (Sm,Gd,Er)(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z magnets with Gd/Er/Sm =
for 8h and Tage=840 oC for 10h. The 28/28/44 processed by sintering at 1210 oC, solution
magnetic properties did not vary much as at different temperatures and aged at 840 oC for 10h.
The arrows indicate the jump in the properties with
solution temperature changed from 1180oC aging temperature at 815 oC for 36h.
to 1200oC. However, aging at a lower
temperature (Tage = 815oC) for 36h resulted
in the elimination of the slightly concave

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 Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on
RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

region in the second quadrant of the

demagnetization curve and a substantial
increase of Hk field. The modified aging
parameters had reduced effect on residual
induction. The increase in Hk led to an
enhanced (BH)max of up to 17.89 MGOe. A
prolonged aging at 840 oC did not result in
the same positive effect.Table 1 presents the
results on three blends with optimized ratio
z with respect to (BH)max and α. The
magnets were isostatically pressed, sintered
at 1210 oC, solutioned at 1200 oC and aged
at 815 oC for 36h. The increase of Sm
content may be responsible for the slight
increase of the maximum energy product,
while the increase of Er content, as
referenced to the total heavy rare earth
content, may contribute to the slight
decrease in the absolute value of α.

Table 1 Maximum energy product (BH)max at room

temperature and reversible temperature coefficient of
Br, α, for RE(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z with different ratio of
RE elements, when the temperature changes from 22
o
C to 150 oC.

With the Gd-based alloy fixed at 22

wt%, we compared the effect of Er/Sm ratio
in the following Gd/Er/Sm blends: 22/32/46;
22/33/45; 22/34/44 and 22/35/43. Fig. 2
shows the variation of Br, Hk and (BH)max
for different values of ratio z. It can be noted Figure 2 Magnetic properties of
that the residual induction decreases with (Sm,Gd,Er)(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z magnets with different
decreasing Sm concentration levels while Hk ratios of the RE elements processed by sintering at
decreases even more sharply. Typical values 1210 oC, solution at different temperatures and aged
at 840 oC for 10h.
for α ranged from -0.007 %/oC to a positive
α indicating an over-compensation effect.
The experiments on compositional
However, the low Hk obtained with
change set some limits for the Gd and Er
increasing the Er content made the magnets
content with respect to achieving good
useless for practical applications.
magnetic properties juxtaposed with a

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 Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on
RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

minimized reversible temperature wt% to 42 wt% led to slightly inferior values

coefficient of residual induction. These of (BH)max for both 26/32/42 and 38/20/42
limits may be roughly defined as less than blends. Fig. 3 presents typical
33 wt% of Er-based alloy and more than 22 demagnetization curves at temperatures in
wt% of Gd-based alloy. the range of -50 oC to 150 oC, for selected
magnets with the magnetic parameters noted
Table 2 Comparison of (BH)max and Hk at room in Table 2.
temperature, Br at -50 oC and 150 oC and the
respective calculated α for RE(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z
magnets with different ratios of the rare earth
elements and ratio z produced with optimized process
parameters.

Several blends, as noted in Table 2, were

processed into magnets by isostatic pressing,
sintering at 1210 oC, solution treatment at
temperatures in the range of 1185- 1200 oC
and aging at 815 oC for 36h. The solution
treatment was performed for 22-25h to
achieve a more homogeneous compositional
distribution and therefore a better squareness
of the demagnetization curve. As it can be
seen in Table 2, (BH)max values of over 20
MGOe and high Hk values combined with
very low α of the order of tens of ppm/oC
were obtained consistently within the entire
investigated compositional range. The
decrease of Sm-based alloy ratio from 44
Figure 3 Demagnetization curves at different
temperatures for (Sm,Gd,Er)(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z magnets
with two selected RE ratios and z= 6.9 (7.5wt% Sm-
rich powder). The magnets were isostatically pressed,
sintered at 1210 oC, solutioned at temperatures in the
range of 1195- 1200 oC and aged at 815 oC for 36 h.
IV. CONCLUSION
(Sm,Gd,Er)(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)z temperature
compensated magnets with (BH)max of 18-20
MGOe at room temperature, Hk of about 20
kOe and almost zero reversible temperature

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 Original manuscript, Proceedings of 20th International Workshop on
RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, Sept. 8-10, 2008, Crete, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

coefficient of Br between -50 oC and 150 oC
have been developed. The optimum
composition should contain less than 33
wt% of Er and more than 22 wt% of Gd in
the total RE content. The optimum thermal
processing consists in sintering at
temperatures as high as 1210 oC, extended
solution at 1185- 1200 oC and aging at 815
o
C for 36h.
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