Nd60Fe30-xNixAl10 bulk metallic glasses with high hard magnetic properties

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) Nd60Fe30-xNixAl10 were prepared by suction cast method. The glass forming abilities (GFAs) and the hard magnetic properties of the BMGs were examined by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The results show that the largest GFA (T-x/T-m = 0.61) of the alloys was obtained when Fe was substituted by 10% Ni and the rods of Nd60Fe20Ni10Al10 have the coercivity up to 323 kA/m and the remanence up to 9.41 Am-2/kg as high as Nd-Fe-Co-Al, the Nd-Fe-based BMGs with highest hard magnetic properties up to date. The homogeneous distribution of Fe-rich nano-clusters, Nd(FeNiAl)(2), in amorphous matrix is responsible for the enhancement. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.