The present disclosure relates generally to a method for improving the performance of sintered NdFeB magnet. A method of preparing a sintered NdFeB magnet therefore comprises the steps of: a) preparing alloy flakes from a raw material of the NdFeB magnet by a strip casting process; and b) preparing a coarse alloy powder from the alloy flakes by a hydrogen decrepitation process, the hydrogen decrepitation process including treatment of the alloy flakes under a hydrogen pressure of 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa for a duration of 1 to 3.5 hours, then degassing the hydrogen at a predetermined temperature between 300° C. to 400° C. for a duration time of 0.5 to 5 hours, and then mixing the resulting coarse alloy powder with a lubricant.

A cemented carbide having an eta phase and a Ni—Al binder is provided. The binder includes intermetallic γ′-Ni.sub.3Al-precipitates embedded in a substitutional solid solution matrix including Al and Ni. Further, the cemented carbide has a surface zone free from eta phase. A method of making a cutting tool is also provided.

A cemented carbide having an eta phase and a Ni—Al binder is provided. The binder includes intermetallic γ′-Ni.sub.3Al-precipitates embedded in a substitutional solid solution matrix including Al and Ni. Further, the cemented carbide has a surface zone free from eta phase. A method of making a cutting tool is also provided.

An R-T-B-based sintered magnet and a preparation method therefor. The R-T-B-based sintered magnet comprises: R, B, Ti, Ga, Al, Cu, and T. The contents thereof are as follows: R is 29.0-33%; the content of B is 0.86-0.93%; the content of Ti is 0.05-0.25%; the content of Ga is 0.3-0.5%, but not 0.5%; the content of Al is 0.6-1%, but not 0.6%; the content of Cu is 0.36-0.55%. The percentage is the mass percentage. Under the condition that no heavy rare earth is added or a small amount of heavy rare earth is added, by using a low B technology, not only the remanence performance of the R-T-B-based sintered magnet is improved, but also the coercivity and the squareness of the magnet are ensured.

A nitride phosphor having a composition containing Eu, Si, Al, N, and a group 2 element including at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. In the composition, a ratio of a total molar content of the group 2 element and Eu to a molar content of Al is 0.8 or more and 1.1 or less, a molar ratio of Eu is 0.002 or more and 0.08 or less, a molar ratio of Si is 0.8 or more and 1.2 or less, and a total molar ratio of Si and Al is 1.8 or more and 2.2 or less. The nitride phosphor has a first peak in a range of 17° 2θ or more and 19° 2θ or less and a second peak in a range of 34° 2θ or more and 35.5° 2θ or less in a CuKα powder X-ray diffraction pattern.

The present invention provides a rare earth sintered magnet which contains R (R represents one or more rare earth elements essentially including Nd), T (T represents one or more iron group elements essentially including Fe), B, M.sup.1 (M.sup.1 represents one or more elements selected from among Al, Si, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Mo, Sn, W, Pb and Bi) and M.sup.2 (M.sup.2 represents one or more elements selected from among Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Hf and Ta), while comprising an R.sub.2T.sub.14B phase as the main phase. This rare earth sintered magnet is characterized in that: the M.sup.1 is in an amount of from 0.5% by atom to 2% by atom; if (R), (T), (M.sup.2) and (B) are the respective atomic percentages of the above-described R, T, M.sup.2 and B, the relational expression (1) ((T)/14)+(M.sup.2)≤(B)≤((R)/2)+((M.sup.2)/2) is satisfied; and from 0.1% by volume to 10% by volume of all grain boundary phases in the magnet is composed of an R.sub.6T.sub.13M.sup.1 phase. This rare earth sintered magnet is able to achieve excellent magnetic characteristics including a good balance between high Br and high H.sub.cJ.

The present invention provides a rare earth sintered magnet which contains R (R represents one or more rare earth elements essentially including Nd), T (T represents one or more iron group elements essentially including Fe), B, M.sup.1 (M.sup.1 represents one or more elements selected from among Al, Si, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Mo, Sn, W, Pb and Bi) and M.sup.2 (M.sup.2 represents one or more elements selected from among Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Hf and Ta), while comprising an R.sub.2T.sub.14B phase as the main phase. This rare earth sintered magnet is characterized in that: the M.sup.1 is in an amount of from 0.5% by atom to 2% by atom; if (R), (T), (M.sup.2) and (B) are the respective atomic percentages of the above-described R, T, M.sup.2 and B, the relational expression (1) ((T)/14)+(M.sup.2)≤(B)≤((R)/2)+((M.sup.2)/2) is satisfied; and from 0.1% by volume to 10% by volume of all grain boundary phases in the magnet is composed of an R.sub.6T.sub.13M.sup.1 phase. This rare earth sintered magnet is able to achieve excellent magnetic characteristics including a good balance between high Br and high H.sub.cJ.

Provided is an R—Fe—B-based sintered magnet which has a composition comprising R (wherein R represents at least one element selected from rare earth elements, and essentially contains Nd), B, M (wherein M represents at least one element selected from Si, Al, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Pt, Au, Hg, Pb and Bi), X (wherein X represents at least one element selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, V and Ta) and C, with a remainder comprising Fe, O and unavoidable impurities, and has a main phase comprising R.sub.2Fe.sub.14B and a grain boundary phase comprising an R—C phase having a higher R concentration and a higher C concentration than those in the main phase, the R—Fe—B-based sintered magnet being characterized in that the area ratio of the R—C phase in a cross section of the magnet is more than 0% and 0.5% or less.

Provided is an R—Fe—B-based sintered magnet which has a composition comprising R (wherein R represents at least one element selected from rare earth elements, and essentially contains Nd), B, M (wherein M represents at least one element selected from Si, Al, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Pt, Au, Hg, Pb and Bi), X (wherein X represents at least one element selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, V and Ta) and C, with a remainder comprising Fe, O and unavoidable impurities, and has a main phase comprising R.sub.2Fe.sub.14B and a grain boundary phase comprising an R—C phase having a higher R concentration and a higher C concentration than those in the main phase, the R—Fe—B-based sintered magnet being characterized in that the area ratio of the R—C phase in a cross section of the magnet is more than 0% and 0.5% or less.

The purpose of the present invention is to achieve both high residual flux density and high coercivity, which are conventionally mutually exclusive characteristics, in an R—Fe—B sintered magnet. The present invention provides an R—Fe—B sintered magnet characterized by having a composition which contains R (R is one or more elements selected from among the rare-earth elements but must be Nd), B. X (X is one or more elements selected from among Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, V, and Ta), and C, with the remainder comprising Fe, O, other arbitrary elements, and unavoidable impurities. The R—Fe—B sintered magnet is also characterized by satisfying relational expression (1), where [B], [C], [X], and [O] are the atomic percentages of B, C, X, and O, respectively.

0.86×([B]+[C]−2×[X])−4.9<[O]<0.86×([B]+[C]−2×[X])−4.6   (1).