To provide a brazing material for maintaining bonding strength between ceramic substrate and metal plate at a conventionally attainable level, while addition amount of In is reduced, and a brazing material paste using the same. A mixture powder provided by mixing alloy powder composed of Ag, In, and Cu, Ag powder, and active metal hydride powder, the mixture powder containing active metal hydride powder with a 10-to-25-μm equivalent circle average particle diameter by 0.5 to 5.0 mass %, the equivalent circle average particle diameters for the alloy powder, Ag powder, and active metal hydride powder having a relationship: alloy powder≧active metal hydride powder>Ag powder, and the powder mixture having a particle size distribution of d10 of 3 to 10 μm, d50 of 10 to 35 μm, and d90 of 30 to 50 μm, and in the frequency distribution, a peak of the distribution existing between d50 and d90.

An RFeB system sintered magnet which does not contain a heavy rare-earth element R.sup.H (Dy, Tb and Ho) in a practically effective amount and yet is suited for applications in which the magnet undergoes a temperature increase during its use. The RFeB system sintered magnet contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nd and Pr as a rare-earth element R in addition to Fe and B while containing none of Dy, Tb and Ho, the magnet having a temperature characteristic value t.sub.(100-23) which satisfies −0.58<t.sub.(100-23)<0, where t.sub.(100-23) is defined by the following equation:

[00001]$t_{\left(100-23\right)}=\frac{H_{\mathrm{cj}}\left(100\right)-H_{\mathrm{cj}}\left(23\right)}{\left(100-23\right)\times H_{\mathrm{cj}}\left(23\right)}\times 100$

using H.sub.cj(23) which is the value of the coercivity at a temperature of 23° C. and H.sub.cj(100) which is the value of the coercivity at a temperature of 100° C.

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 μm or more and 2.8 μm 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 μm or more and 2.8 μm 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 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 μm to 2.8 μm. The R-T-B based permanent magnet contains at least C and Ga in addition to R, T, and B. B is contained at 0.71 mass % to 0.86 mass %. C is contained at 0.13 mass % to 0.34 mass %. Ga is contained at 0.40 mass % to 1.80 mass %. A formula (1) of 0.14≦[C]/([B]+[C])≦0.30 is satisfied, where [B] is a B content represented by atom %, and [C] is a C content represented by atom %.

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 μm to 2.8 μm. The R-T-B based permanent magnet contains at least C and Ga in addition to R, T, and B. B is contained at 0.71 mass % to 0.86 mass %. C is contained at 0.13 mass % to 0.34 mass %. Ga is contained at 0.40 mass % to 1.80 mass %. A formula (1) of 0.14≦[C]/([B]+[C])≦0.30 is satisfied, where [B] is a B content represented by atom %, and [C] is a C content represented by atom %.

A method for preparing a Nd—Fe—B-based sintered magnet. The method includes: 1) providing a master alloy and an auxiliary alloy, the master alloy being a Nd—Fe—B alloy ingot or cast strip, the auxiliary alloy being a heavy rare earth alloy; 2) breaking up the master alloy using a hydrogen decrepitation process to yield a crude powder, conducting hydrogen absorption treatment on the auxiliary alloy and breaking up the hydrogenated auxiliary alloy to yield hydride particles; 3) uniformly mixing and stirring the crude powder of the master alloy and the hydride particles of the auxiliary alloy to yield a mixture; 4) milling the mixture obtained in step 3) to yield powders; 5) uniformly stirring the powders obtained in step 4) and conducting orientation forming treatment on the powders, to yield a raw body of a Nd—Fe—B based magnet; and 6) sintering the raw body of the Nd—Fe—B based magnet.

A method for preparing a Nd—Fe—B-based sintered magnet. The method includes: 1) providing a master alloy and an auxiliary alloy, the master alloy being a Nd—Fe—B alloy ingot or cast strip, the auxiliary alloy being a heavy rare earth alloy; 2) breaking up the master alloy using a hydrogen decrepitation process to yield a crude powder, conducting hydrogen absorption treatment on the auxiliary alloy and breaking up the hydrogenated auxiliary alloy to yield hydride particles; 3) uniformly mixing and stirring the crude powder of the master alloy and the hydride particles of the auxiliary alloy to yield a mixture; 4) milling the mixture obtained in step 3) to yield powders; 5) uniformly stirring the powders obtained in step 4) and conducting orientation forming treatment on the powders, to yield a raw body of a Nd—Fe—B based magnet; and 6) sintering the raw body of the Nd—Fe—B based magnet.

This disclosure is directed to sintered bodies comprising grains and a grain boundary composition, wherein: (a) the grains comprise a composition substantially represented by a formula G.sub.2M.sub.14B, where G is Nd, Dy, Pr, Tb, or a combination thereof, and M is Co, Fe, Ni, or a combination thereof, wherein the grains are optionally doped with one or more rare earth elements; and (b) the grain boundary composition is an alloy composition substantially represented by the formula: Nd.sub.8.5-12.5Dy.sub.35-45Co.sub.32-41Cu.sub.3-6.5Fe.sub.1.5-5, wherein the subscript values are atom percent relative to the total composition of the the alloy composition. Corresponding populations of particles are also disclosed

Provided is a sintered magnet that is an R-T-B based sintered magnet having a region having a concentration of at least one heavy rare earth element decreasing from the surface toward the inside, in which the at least one heavy rare earth element includes at least either of Tb or Dy, R includes Nd, T includes Fe, Co, and Cu, there is a grain boundary phase containing at least either of Tb or Dy and Nd between two main phase particles, and a value obtained by subtracting a half value width of a concentration distribution curve of Cu from a half value width of a concentration distribution curve of Tb or Dy in a part including the grain boundary phase is from 10 to 20 nm.