Phase-Separated Alloys For Bulk Exchange-Biased Permanent Magnets

Explorations in the metallurgical synthesis from the melt of bulk permanent magnets with coercivity conferred by the exchange bias mechanism were carried out in a two-phase materials system composed of ferromagnetic FeCo and antiferromagnetic, nominally equiatomic AuMn. Rapid solidification synthesis of composite alloys of nominal composition (Fe65Co35)(100-x)(AuMn)(x) (x=5, 10, and 15) was carried out. The ribbons possess AuMn and Au2Mn spherical phases in a bcc (Fe,Co) matrix with a bimodal size distribution of nanoscaled and micron sizes. Magnetization measurements of the composite confirm an exchange bias effect correlated with a coercivity increase over that of the (Fe,Co) melt-spun base alloy. While the exchange bias effect is small, the enhanced coercivity and shifted hysteresis loop observed in a single sample create a strong argument for coercivity enhancement conferred by the exchange bias interaction between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases in a bulk melt-spun nanocomposite material. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics.