Magnetostrictive Sm1−xNdxFe2/Fe composites from melt-spun precursors

Abstract
We have fabricated magnetostrictive composites containing Sm1−xNdxFe2 in an Fe matrix by hot pressing. The magnetostrictive component was prepared by heat treating melt-spun precursors, a method we find capable of producing the MgCu2-type phase for Nd concentrations as large as x=0.5. We report physical and magnetic properties of the rapidly solidified precursor materials, as well as the magnetostriction λ of Fe-based composites formed with them. The intrinsic coercivity Hci of the melt-spun ribbons decreases from 2.0 kOe for SmFe2 to 0.5 kOe for Sm0.5Nd0.5Fe2. As x increases from 0 to 0.5, λ of the composites decreases roughly linearly with x from 430 to 80 ppm.