Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved techniques for creating SMA materials and SMA powders. SMA materials and powders formed may be used to form porous structures suitable for applications such as biomaterials, damping applications, actuators, and/or sensors. Embodiments for performing hydriding and dehydriding of SMA wires at low pressure and low temperature are provided. Methods may be used to produce a shape memory alloy (SMA) powder. Such methods may include hydriding a length SMA wire under low pressure for a period of time to produce a length of hydrided SMA wire, crushing the length of hydrided SMA wire to form a hydrided SMA powder, and dehydriding the hydrided SMA powder to form a dehydrided SMA powder.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved techniques for creating SMA materials and SMA powders. SMA materials and powders formed may be used to form porous structures suitable for applications such as biomaterials, damping applications, actuators, and/or sensors. Embodiments for performing hydriding and dehydriding of SMA wires at low pressure and low temperature are provided. Methods may be used to produce a shape memory alloy (SMA) powder. Such methods may include hydriding a length SMA wire under low pressure for a period of time to produce a length of hydrided SMA wire, crushing the length of hydrided SMA wire to form a hydrided SMA powder, and dehydriding the hydrided SMA powder to form a dehydrided SMA powder.

An R-T-B based permanent magnet includes R-T-B based compounds as main-phase crystal grains. R is a rare earth element. T is iron group element(s) essentially including Fe or Fe and Co. B is boron. A two-grain boundary is contained between the two adjacent main-phase crystal grains. An average grain size of the main-phase crystal grains is 0.9 m or more and 2.8 m or less. A thickness of the two-grain boundary is 5 nm or more and 200 nm or less.

An R-T-B based permanent magnet includes R-T-B based compounds as main-phase crystal grains. R is a rare earth element. T is iron group element(s) essentially including Fe or Fe and Co. B is boron. A two-grain boundary is contained between the two adjacent main-phase crystal grains. An average grain size of the main-phase crystal grains is 0.9 m or more and 2.8 m or less. A thickness of the two-grain boundary is 5 nm or more and 200 nm or less.

An R-T-B permanent magnet that contains: main-phase grains composed of an R.sub.2T.sub.14B compound (where R is a rare earth element, T is a transition metal element, and B is boron); and grain boundaries. R includes Ce. The R-T-B permanent magnet has a Ce content of 15-35 mass % with respect to the total R content. The grain boundaries include an R-rich phase and an R-T phase. In a cross section of the R-T-B permanent magnet, the surface area ratio S(R-T) of the R-T phases with respect to the grain boundaries is 0.60-0.85.

The invention provides an RFeB sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of Nd, Pr and R, 0.1-3 at % of M.sub.1, 0.05-0.5 at % of M.sub.2, 4.8+2*m to 5.9+2*m at % of B, and the balance of Fe, containing R.sub.2(Fe,(Co)).sub.14B intermetallic compound as a main phase, and having a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with a grain boundary phases. The sintered magnet has an average grain size of less than 6 m, a crystal orientation of more than 98%, and a degree of magnetization of more than 96%, and exhibits a coercivity of at least 10 kOe despite a low or nil content of Dy, Tb, and Ho.

The invention provides an RFeB sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of Nd, Pr and R, 0.1-3 at % of M.sub.1, 0.05-0.5 at % of M.sub.2, 4.8+2*m to 5.9+2*m at % of B, and the balance of Fe, containing R.sub.2(Fe,(Co)).sub.14B intermetallic compound as a main phase, and having a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with a grain boundary phases. The sintered magnet has an average grain size of less than 6 m, a crystal orientation of more than 98%, and a degree of magnetization of more than 96%, and exhibits a coercivity of at least 10 kOe despite a low or nil content of Dy, Tb, and Ho.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of methods, devices, and assemblies for processing feedstock materials using microwave plasma processing. Specifically, the feedstock materials disclosed herein pertains to scrap materials, dehydrogenated or non-hydrogenated feed material, and recycled used powder. Microwave plasma processing can be used to spheroidize and remove contaminants. Advantageously, microwave plasma processed feedstock can be used in various applications such as additive manufacturing or powdered metallurgy (PM) applications that require high powder flowability.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of methods, devices, and assemblies for processing feedstock materials using microwave plasma processing. Specifically, the feedstock materials disclosed herein pertains to scrap materials, dehydrogenated or non-hydrogenated feed material, and recycled used powder. Microwave plasma processing can be used to spheroidize and remove contaminants. Advantageously, microwave plasma processed feedstock can be used in various applications such as additive manufacturing or powdered metallurgy (PM) applications that require high powder flowability.

An R-T-B permanent magnet that contains: main-phase grains composed of an R.sub.2T.sub.14B compound (where R is a rare earth element, T is a transition metal element, and B is boron); and grain boundaries. R includes Ce. The grain boundaries include multi-grain grain boundaries that are adjacent to three or more main-phase grains. The multi-grain grain boundaries include an R-rich phase, and lamellar or acicular R-T precipitates are present in the R-rich phase.