Preparation of hard magnetic alloys of a transition metal and lanthanide

Claim 1

A method for preparing a hard magnetic polycrystalline alloy which comprise the steps of preparing an alloy represented by the formula: (M.sub.w X.sub.x B.sub.1-w-x).sub.1-y (Y.sub.v R'L.sub.1-v-z).sub.y wherein v is from 0 to 0.8, w is from about 0.7 to about 0.98; x is from 0 to about 0.15; y is from about 0.05 to about 0.25; z is from 0 to about 0.95; M is selected from the class consisting of iron, cobalt, an iron-cobalt alloy, an iron-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron, an iron-cobalt-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron and cobalt, X is an auxillary glass former selected from the class consisting of phosphorous, silicon, aluminum, arsenic, genmanium, indinum, antimony, bismuth, tin, and mixtures thereof, R' is a heavier-weight lanthanide, and L is a lighter weight lanthanide, said alloy having a polycrystalline, multiphase, single-domain microstructure wherein the average crystal-grain size does not exceed 400 A; creating an amorphous microstructure in said alloy; heating said alloy at a temperature from about 850 to 1200 K. in a magnetic field of at least one kOe until a polycrystalline microstructure is obtained.

Claim 2

A method for preparing a hard magnetic polycrystalline alloy which comprise the steps of preparing an alloy represented by the formula: (M.sub.w X.sub.x B.sub.1-w-x).sub.1-y (Y.sub.v R'L.sub.1-v-z).sub.y wherein v is from 0 to 0.8, w is from about 0.7 to about 0.98; x is from 0 to about 0.15; y is from about 0.05 to about 0.25; z is from 0 to about 0.95; M is selected from the class consisting of iron, cobalt, an iron-cobalt alloy, an iron-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron, an iron-cobalt-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron and cobalt, X is an auxillary glass former selected from the class consisting of phosphorous, silicon, aluminum, arsenic, genmanium, indinum, antimony, bismuth, tin, and mixtures thereof, R' is a heavier-weight lanthanide, and L is a lighter weight lanthanide, said alloy having a polycrystalline, multiphase, single-domain microstructure wherein the average crystal-grain size does not exceed 400 A; creating an amorphous microstructure in said alloy; heating said alloy at a temperature from about 850 to 1200 K. in a magnetic field of at least one kOe until a polycrystalline microstructure is obtained.