Investigation of polycrystalline Nd2Fe14B texturing by solidification in amagnetic field

A polycrystalline sample of Nd2Fe14B was prepared by induction melting and solidification in an intense applied magnetic field, to study the alignment due to residual magnetocrystalline anisotropy of this compound near the me lting point. A well-defined direction of the thermal gradient perpendicular to the magnetic held was achieved by means of an appropriate experimental set-up. The results of measurements indicate that the sample is substantial ly textured, but not in parallel to the elaboration field. A numerical meth od is utilized for the determination of anisotropy parameters in Nd2Fe14B c ompound, involving the analysis of measured magnetization curves. The minim ization of the free-energy density, expanded in terms of these constants, i s performed to determine the sub-lattice terms which are necessary to calcu late the polarization curves. A fitting of the measured magnetization curve s obtained at room temperature is realized to obtain the anisotropy constan ts, texture parameters and saturation magnetization. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.