Recycling of Sintered Nd-Fe-B Magnets Doped with PrNd Nanoparticles

Abstract

The waste of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets was recycled using the method of dopingPrNd nanoparticles. The effect of PrNd nanoparticle doping on the magnetic properties of the regenerated magnets has been studied. As the content of the PrNd nanoparticles increases, the coercivity increases monotonically, whereas both the remanence and the maximum energy products reach the maximum values for 4 wt% PrNd doping. Microstructural observation reveals that the appropriate addition of PrNd nanoparticles improves the magnetic properties and refines the grain. Domain investigation shows that the self-pinning effect of the rare earth (Re)-rich phase is enhanced by PrNd nano-particle doping. Compared to the magnet with 4 wt% PrNd alloy prepared using the dual-alloy method, the regenerated magnet doped with the same number of PrNd nanoparticles exhibits better magnetic properties and a more homogeneous microstructure. Therefore, it is concluded that PrNd nanoparticle doping is an efficient method for recycling the leftover scraps of Nd-Fe-B magnets.