Preparation and Magnetic Properties of 2:17-Type SmCo Alloy by Transition Metal-Induced Calciothermic Reduction

We present a one-step method for preparing Sm (CobalFe0.08Cu0.1Zr0.03)7.45 alloy through transition metal-induced SmF3 calciothermic reduction. The composition, crystal structure, element distribution, and chemical valence of the alloy were characterized by inductively coupled plasma, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the content of samarium in the alloy increases with the SmF3 amount. The composition of the alloy is similar to that of the designated alloy by adding 10 wt.% SmF3 over the theoretical addition. The reaction product is CaF2, and the ingot alloy is composed of 1:7 and 2:17 phases. The metal elements are uniformly distributed and demonstrate zero valency. The magnetic properties of the magnet show that the remanent magnetization, intrinsic coercivity, and maximum energy product are 1.15 T, 2145.30 kA/m, and 205.34 kJ/m3, respectively.