The magnet material is represented by a composition formula 1: (R.sub.1-xY.sub.x).sub.aM.sub.bA.sub.c, where R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of rare-earth elements, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe and Co, A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of N, C, B, H and P, x is a number satisfying 0.01x0.8, a is a number satisfying 4a20 atomic %, b is a number satisfying b=100ac atomic %, and c is a number satisfying 0c18 atomic %), and includes a main phase having a Th.sub.2Ni.sub.17 crystal structure. A concentration of the element M in the main phase is 89.6 atomic % or more.

The invention provides a high-performance permanent magnet. The permanent magnet has a composition that is expressed by a composition formula R.sub.pFe.sub.qM.sub.rCu.sub.tCo.sub.100-p-q-r-t, where R is at least one element selected from a rare earth element, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ti, and Hf, p is a number satisfying 10.8p12.5 atomic percent, q is a number satisfying 25q40 atomic percent, r is a number satisfying 0.88r4.5 atomic percent, and t is a number satisfying 3.5t13.5 atomic percent. The permanent magnet also has a metallic structure that includes a main phase having a Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17 crystal phase, and a Cu-M rich phase having a higher Cu concentration and a higher M concentration than the main phase.

To provide a rare earth magnet in which particles of SmFeN powder are bound using a Zn powder, wherein generation of a knick at a magnetic field of around 0 is prevented and high residual magnetic flux density Br is thereby achieved, and a production method thereof.

A rare earth magnet including a main phase containing Sm, Fe, and N, at least a part of the main phase having a Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17-type or Th.sub.2Ni.sub.17-type crystal structure, a sub-phase containing Zn and Fe and being present around the main phase, and an intermediate phase containing Sm, Fe and N as well as Zn and being present between the main phase and the sub-phase, wherein the average Fe content in the sub-phase is 33 at % or less relative to the whole sub-phase.

To provide a rare earth magnet in which particles of SmFeN powder are bound using a Zn alloy powder, wherein generation of a knick at a magnetic field of around 0 is prevented, and a production method thereof.

A rare earth magnet including a main phase containing Sm, Fe, and N, at least a part of the main phase having a Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17-type or Th.sub.2Ni.sub.17-type crystal structure, a sub-phase containing at least either Si or Sm, and Zn and Fe and being present around the main phase, and an intermediate phase containing Sm, Fe and N as well as Zn and being present between the main phase and the sub-phase, wherein the average Fe content in the sub-phase is 33 at % or less relative to the whole sub-phase, and the average total content of Si and Sm in the sub-phase is from 1.4 to 4.5 at % relative to the whole subs-phase.

A samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a value obtained by dividing the hydrogen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 400 ppm/(m.sup.2/g), and a value obtained by dividing the oxygen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 11,000 ppm/(m.sup.2/g).

According to an embodiment, a permanent magnet has a composition represented by a composition formula: R.sub.pFe.sub.qM.sub.rCu.sub.tCo.sub.100-p-q-r-t (where, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti, and Hf, p is a number that satisfies 10.0 at %p14.5 at %, r is a number that satisfies 1.5 at %<r4.2 at %, t is a number that satisfies 0.5 at %t 9.0 at %, and q is a number that satisfies 17.0 at %q26.0 at %); and a metallic structure including a cell phase having a Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17 type crystal phase, a cell wall phase formed so as to partition the Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17 type crystal phase, and a platelet phase formed so as to intersect with a c-axis of the Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17 type crystal phase, in which an average distance between the platelet phases is 10 nm or more and 30 nm or less.

A permanent magnet of the embodiment includes: a composition represented by a composition formula: R(Fe.sub.pM.sub.qCu.sub.rC.sub.tCo.sub.1-p-q-r-t).sub.z (R is at least one element selected from rare-earth elements, M is at least one element selected from Ti, Zr and Hf, 0.27p0.45, 0.01q0.05, 0.01r0.1, 0.002t0.03, and 6z9); and a metallic structure including a main phase containing a Th.sub.2Zn.sub.17 crystal phase, and a sub phase of the element M having an element M concentration of 30 atomic % or more. The sub phase of the element M precipitates in the metallic structure. A ratio of a circumferential length to a precipitated area of the sub phase of the element M is 1 or more and 10 or less.

A sintered magnet contains SmFeN-based crystal grains and has high coercivity; and a magnetic powder is capable of forming a sintered magnet without lowering the coercivity even if heat is generated in association with the sintering. A sintered magnet comprises a crystal phase composed of a plurality of SmFeN-based crystal grains and a nonmagnetic metal phase present between the SmFeN crystal grains adjacent to each other, wherein a ratio of Fe peak intensity I.sub.Fe to SmFeN peak intensity I.sub.SmFeN measured by an X-ray diffraction method is 0.2 or less. A magnetic powder comprises SmFeN-based crystal particles and a nonmagnetic metal layer covering surfaces of the SmFeN crystal particles.

The present invention relates to an SmFeN magnet material including: from 7.0 to 12 at % of Sm; from 0.1 to 1.5 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Hf and Zr; from 0.05 to 0.5 at % of C; from 10 to 20 at % of N; and from 0 to 35 at % of Co, with the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities. The present invention also relates to an SmFeN bonded magnet including a powder of the SmFeN magnet material and a binder.

Included is a method of preparing a compound for bonded magnets, the method including: coating a magnetic material having an average particle size of 10 m or less with a thermosetting resin and a curing agent at a ratio of the equivalent weight of the curing agent to the equivalent weight of the thermosetting resin of 2 or higher and 10 or lower to obtain a coated material; granulating the coated material by compression to obtain a granulated product; milling the granulated product to obtain a milled product; and surface treating the milled product with a silane coupling agent to obtain a compound for bonded magnets, the method either including, between the granulation and the milling, heat curing the granulated product to obtain a cured product, or including, between the milling and the surface treatment, heat curing the milled product to obtain a cured product.