A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

An alloy for R-T-B-based rare earth sintered magnets which contains R which is a rare earth element; T which is a transition metal essentially containing Fe; a metallic element M containing one or more metals selected from Al, Ga and Cu; B and inevitable impurities, in which R accounts for 13 at % to 15 at %, B accounts for 4.5 at % to 6.2 at %, M accounts for 0.1 at % to 2.4 at %, T accounts for balance, a proportion of Dy in all rare earth elements is in a range of 0 at % to 65 at %, and the following Formula 1 is satisfied,
0.0049Dy+0.34≤B/TRE≤0.0049Dy+0.36  Formula 1
wherein Dy represents a concentration (at %) of a Dy element, B represents a concentration (at %) of a boron element, and TRE represents a concentration (at %) of all the rare earth elements.

The present invention provides fine grain structures for rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) and their production in a manner to significantly enhance flexural strength and fracture toughness of the magnets with no or little sacrifice in the hard magnetic properties. The tough REPMs can have either homogeneous or heterogeneous refined grain microstructural architectures achieved by introducing a small amount of additive particle materials into the magnet matrix, such as fine-sized, insoluble, chemically stable, and non-reactive with the magnet matrix. These additive materials can act effectively as both heterogeneous nuclei sites and grain growth inhibitors during the heat treatment processes, which in turn resulting in refined grain structures of the REPMs. Alternatively, the fine grain structures were also achieved by using magnet alloy feedstock powders with finer particle sizes. The fine grains acting as the strengthening sites can inhibit the crack nucleation and can also slow down the propagation of micro-cracks, which in turn increasing magnet's fracture toughness.

The present invention provides fine grain structures for rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) and their production in a manner to significantly enhance flexural strength and fracture toughness of the magnets with no or little sacrifice in the hard magnetic properties. The tough REPMs can have either homogeneous or heterogeneous refined grain microstructural architectures achieved by introducing a small amount of additive particle materials into the magnet matrix, such as fine-sized, insoluble, chemically stable, and non-reactive with the magnet matrix. These additive materials can act effectively as both heterogeneous nuclei sites and grain growth inhibitors during the heat treatment processes, which in turn resulting in refined grain structures of the REPMs. Alternatively, the fine grain structures were also achieved by using magnet alloy feedstock powders with finer particle sizes. The fine grains acting as the strengthening sites can inhibit the crack nucleation and can also slow down the propagation of micro-cracks, which in turn increasing magnet's fracture toughness.

An R-T-B based permanent magnet includes main phase grains composed of R.sub.2T.sub.14B type compound. R is a rare earth element. T is iron group element(s) essentially including Fe or Fe and Co. B is boron. An average grain size of the main phase grains is 0.8 m or more and 2.8 m or less. The R-T-B based permanent magnet contains at least C and Zr in addition to R, T, and B. B is contained at 0.75 mass % or more and 0.88 mass % or less. Zr is contained at 0.65 mass % or more and 5.00 mass % or less. A formula (1) of 5.0[B]+[C][Zr]5.6 is satisfied, where [B] is a B content represented by atom %, [C] is a C content represented by atom %, and [Zr] is a Zr content represented by atom %.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

This invention relates to magnetocaloric materials comprising alloys useful for magnetic refrigeration applications. In some embodiments, the disclosed alloys may be Cerium, Neodymium, and/or Gadolinium based compositions that are fairly inexpensive, and in some cases exhibit only 2.sup.nd order magnetic phase transitions near their curie temperature, thus there are limited thermal and structural hysteresis losses. This makes these compositions attractive candidates for use in magnetic refrigeration applications. Surprisingly, the performance of the disclosed materials is similar or better to many of the known expensive rare-earth based magnetocaloric materials.

This invention relates to magnetocaloric materials comprising alloys useful for magnetic refrigeration applications. In some embodiments, the disclosed alloys may be Cerium, Neodymium, and/or Gadolinium based compositions that are fairly inexpensive, and in some cases exhibit only 2.sup.nd order magnetic phase transitions near their curie temperature, thus there are limited thermal and structural hysteresis losses. This makes these compositions attractive candidates for use in magnetic refrigeration applications. Surprisingly, the performance of the disclosed materials is similar or better to many of the known expensive rare-earth based magnetocaloric materials.

A rare earth permanent magnet that is high in residual magnetization and coercivity is obtained and includes R and T. A main phase of crystal grains having an Nd.sub.5Fe.sub.17 type crystal structure is included. In an X-ray diffraction profile drawn by performing an XRD measurement for a rare earth permanent magnet, peaks of detected intensity are present in specific ranges. In which the detected intensity of the peak with the highest detected intensity in the range of 41.60<2()<42.80 is set as , the detected intensity of the peak with the highest detected intensity in the range of 34.38<2()<34.64 is set as , and the detected intensity of the peak with the highest detected intensity in the range of 38.70<2()<41.20 is set as , 0.38</<0.70 and 0.45</<0.70 are established. The peak with the highest detected intensity in the range of 34.38<2()<34.64 is a peak derived from the Nd.sub.5Fe.sub.17 type crystal structure.