Grain size dependence of magnetic properties in shock synthesized bulk Pr2Fe14B/a-Fe nanocomposites

The structural and magnetic properties of the melt-spun Pr2Fe14B/a-Fe nanocomposite powders consolidated via shock-wave compression and subjected to postshock thermal treatment were investigated. Shock compression results in grain refinement, which leads to a reduction of an effective anisotropy and therefore an increase in the ferromagnetic exchange length, resulting in an enhanced exchange coupling in fully consolidated bulk magnets. A small amount of amorphous phase formed during the shock compression were observed to crystallize into Pr2Fe14B upon annealing above 600 °C. The heat treatment also results in the recovery of coercivity partially lost during the consolidation, which can be related directly to the dependence of the effective anisotropy on the grain size, as illustrated by the transmission electron microscopy observation of grain refinement in the shock-consolidated bulk samples. A uniform grain morphology is suggested as a means for further increasing the magnetic properties of bulk nanocomposites. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.1782956]