Enhancing Magnetic Properties of τ–Mn_53.3Al₄₅C_1.7 through Sintering with Fe_58.5Co_31.5X₁₀ Alloys

In this study, powders of the τ–Mn _53.3 Al ₄₅ C _1.7 hard magnetic phase were mixed and sintered with powders of the three soft magnetic phases, Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 X ₁₀ (X=Ti, Zr, and Ce), in a relation of 98/2 wt.%. The soft Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 X ₁₀ magnetic phases primarily exhibit an α–FeCo crystalline phase. The Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 Zr ₁₀ and Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 Ce ₁₀ samples contain the FeCoZr and Ce ₂ (Fe,Co) ₁₇ phases, respectively. Mössbauer Spectroscopy analysis of the soft magnetic phases was carried out using sextets, and quadrupole splitting distributions. In addition, a small hyperfine field distribution was performed only for Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 Zr ₁₀ . The majority sextet with a mean hyperfine field of 36.4 T was associated with the α–FeCo phase, and the most likely quadrupole splitting below 1.2 mm/s, were associated with Fe ⁺³ , and those more significant than this value were associated with Fe ⁺² . The hysteresis loops confirm the soft magnetic behavior, with saturation magnetization values of approximately 150 Am ² kg ^-1 . The τ–Mn _53.3 Al ₄₅ C _1.7 phase reveals the presence of the τ (84 wt.%) and β (16 wt.%) crystalline phases, along with magnetic properties such as magnetization at 1.8 T of 38.2 Am ² kg ^-1 , coercive field of 0.377 T, and maximum energy product of 3.6 kJm ^-3 . The mixtures of both phases exhibit the soft magnetic phase α–FeCo and τ and β phases of the Mn-Al-C system. Among the three obtained mixed and sintered samples obtained, the one mixed with Fe _58.5 Co _31.5 Zr ₁₀ demonstrates the best magnetic properties, with magnetization reaching 58.1 Am ² kg ^-1 , a coercive field of 0.361 T, and a maximum energy product of 7.4 kJm ^-3 . All of these magnetic properties surpass those of the τ–Mn _53.3 Al ₄₅ C _1.7 phase, except for the coercive field.