JP6562993B2 - Permanent magnet and motor, generator, and automobile using the same - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a permanent magnet and a motor, a generator, and an automobile using the permanent magnet.

  As high performance permanent magnets, rare earth magnets such as Sm-Co magnets and Nd-Fe-B magnets are known. When a permanent magnet is used in a motor of a hybrid vehicle (Hybrid Electric Vehicle: HEV) or an electric vehicle (Electric Vehicle: EV), the permanent magnet is required to have heat resistance. In a motor for HEV or EV, a permanent magnet is used in which a part of Nd (neodymium) in an Nd—Fe—B magnet is replaced with Dy (dysprosium) to improve heat resistance. Since Dy is one of rare elements, there is a demand for a permanent magnet that does not use Dy. Since Sm—Co magnets have a high Curie temperature, it is known that they exhibit excellent heat resistance in a composition system that does not use Dy, and realization of good operating characteristics at high temperatures is expected.

The Sm—Co magnet has a lower magnetization than the Nd—Fe—B magnet, and the maximum magnetic energy product ((BH) _max ) cannot realize a sufficient value. In order to increase the magnetization of the Sm—Co magnet, it is effective to replace part of Co with Fe and increase the Fe concentration. However, in the composition region where the Fe concentration is high, the coercive force of the Sm—Co magnet tends to decrease. Further, since the Sm—Co magnet is made of a brittle intermetallic compound and is generally used as a sintered magnet, brittleness may be a problem in terms of fatigue characteristics. Therefore, in the Sm—Co based sintered magnet having a high Fe concentration composition, it is required to improve mechanical properties such as strength and toughness in addition to improvement of magnetic properties such as coercive force.

JP 2010-034522 A JP 2012-204599 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the magnetic properties such as magnetization and coercive force of the Sm-Co sintered magnet, and to use the permanent magnet capable of enhancing the mechanical properties such as strength. It is to provide a motor, a generator, and an automobile.

The permanent magnet of the embodiment is
Formula _{1: R p1 Fe q1 M r1} Cu s1 Co 100-p1-q1-r1-s1
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, 50 atom% or more is Sm, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti and Hf, and p1, q1 , R1 and s1 are atomic%, and are numbers satisfying 10 ≦ p1 ≦ 13.3, 25 ≦ q1 ≦ 40, 0.87 ≦ r1 ≦ 5.4, 3.5 ≦ s1 ≦ 13.5)
A sintered body having a composition represented by: The sintered body constituting the permanent magnet includes crystal grains composed of a main phase including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase,
Formula _{2: R p2 Fe q2 M r2} Cu s2 Co 100-p2-q2-r2-s2
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, 50 atom% or more is Sm, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti and Hf, and p2, q2 , R2 and s2 are atomic% and satisfy 10.8 ≦ p2 ≦ 11.6, 25 ≦ q2 ≦ 40, 1 ≦ r2 ≦ 2, 5 ≦ s2 ≦ 16, 1.5 ≦ s2 / s1 ≦ 4 Number)
And a Cu rich phase having an average thickness in the range of 0.05 μm or more and 2 μm or less. Major phase comprises a cell phase having a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ crystal phase, have a CaCu ₅ type crystal phase, and the cell wall phase present so as to surround the cell phase. The sintered body has a density of 8.08 g / cm ³ or more.

It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the alloy ingot used for preparation of a Sm-Co type sintered magnet. It is a figure which shows an example of the result of the suggestive thermal analysis of the alloy powder used for preparation of a Sm-Co type sintered magnet. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which temperature-raised to 1130 degreeC in the vacuum atmosphere, hold | maintained for 1 minute, and then switched to Ar gas atmosphere and rapidly cooled. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which temperature-raised to 1160 degreeC in the vacuum atmosphere, hold | maintained for 1 minute, and then switched rapidly to Ar gas atmosphere and rapidly cooled to 1160 degreeC. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which temperature-raised to 1170 degreeC in the vacuum atmosphere, hold | maintained for 1 minute, and then rapidly cooled by switching to the Ar gas atmosphere after the compression molding of the alloy powder shown in FIG. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which heated and heated the sample shown to FIG. 3A to sintering temperature in Ar gas atmosphere. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which heated and heated the sample shown to FIG. 3B to sintering temperature in Ar gas atmosphere. It is a SEM-reflected electron image which shows the metal structure of the sample which heated and heated the sample shown to FIG. 3C to sintering temperature in Ar gas atmosphere. It is a figure which shows the permanent magnet motor of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the variable magnetic flux motor of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the permanent magnet generator of embodiment.

Hereinafter, the permanent magnet of the embodiment will be described. The permanent magnet of this embodiment is
Formula _{1: R p1 Fe q1 M r1} Cu s1 Co 100-p1-q1-r1-s1
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti, and Hf, and p1, q1, r1, and s1 are each in atomic percent and 10 ≦ (P1 ≦ 13.3, 25 ≦ q1 ≦ 40, 0.87 ≦ r1 ≦ 5.4, 3.5 ≦ s1 ≦ 13.5)
A sintered body having a composition represented by: The sintered body constituting the permanent magnet of the embodiment includes crystal grains from a main phase including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase, and a Cu rich phase having a Cu concentration higher than that of the main phase. The Cu rich phase has an average thickness in the range of 0.05 μm to 2 μm.

  In the composition formula 1, as the element R, at least one element selected from rare earth elements including yttrium (Y) is used. Any of the elements R provides a large magnetic anisotropy to the permanent magnet and imparts a high coercive force. The element R is preferably at least one selected from samarium (Sm), cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), and particularly preferably Sm. By setting Sm to 50 atom% or more of the element R, the performance of the permanent magnet, particularly the coercive force, can be improved with good reproducibility. Furthermore, it is desirable that 70 atomic% or more of the element R is Sm.

  The content p1 of element R in the overall composition of the sintered body is in the range of 10 atomic% to 13.3 atomic%. When the content p1 of the element R is less than 10 atomic%, a large amount of α-Fe phase is precipitated and a sufficient coercive force cannot be obtained. On the other hand, when the content p1 of the element R exceeds 13.3 atomic%, the saturation magnetization is significantly reduced. The content p1 of the element R is preferably in the range of 10.2 to 13 atomic%, more preferably in the range of 10.5 to 12.5 atomic%.

  Iron (Fe) is an element mainly responsible for the magnetization of the permanent magnet. By containing a relatively large amount of Fe, the saturation magnetization of the permanent magnet can be increased. However, if Fe is contained excessively, an α-Fe phase is precipitated, or a desired two-phase separated structure to be described later is hardly obtained, so that the coercive force may be lowered. For this reason, the content q1 of Fe in the overall composition of the sintered body is in the range of 25 atomic% to 40 atomic%. The Fe content q1 is preferably in the range of 27 to 38 atomic%, more preferably in the range of 30 to 36 atomic%.

  As the element M, at least one element selected from titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf) is used. By blending the element M, a large coercive force can be expressed with a composition having a high Fe concentration. The content r1 of the element M in the overall composition of the sintered body is in the range of 0.87 atomic% to 5.4 atomic%. By setting the content r1 of the element M to 0.87 atomic% or more, the Fe concentration can be increased. On the other hand, when the content r1 of the element M exceeds 5.4 atomic%, the magnetization is remarkably reduced. The content r1 of the element M is preferably in the range of 1.3 to 4.3 atomic%, more preferably in the range of 1.5 to 2.9 atomic%.

  The element M may be any of Ti, Zr, and Hf, but preferably contains at least Zr. In particular, the effect of increasing the coercive force of the permanent magnet can be further improved by using 50 atomic% or more of the element M as Zr. On the other hand, since Hf is particularly expensive among the elements M, it is preferable to reduce the amount used even when Hf is used. The Hf content is preferably less than 20 atomic% of the element M.

  Copper (Cu) is an element for causing a permanent magnet to exhibit a high coercive force, and is an essential element for forming a Cu-rich phase. The compounding amount s1 of Cu in the overall composition of the sintered body is in the range of 3.5 atomic% to 13.5 atomic%. When the blending amount s1 of Cu is less than 3.5 atomic%, it is difficult to obtain a high coercive force, and it becomes difficult to generate a Cu-rich phase, so that a sufficient coercive force and strength cannot be obtained. On the other hand, when the compounding amount s1 of Cu exceeds 13.5 atomic%, the magnetization is remarkably reduced. The amount s1 of Cu is preferably in the range of 3.9 to 9 atomic%, more preferably in the range of 4.2 to 7.2 atomic%.

  Cobalt (Co) is an element necessary for developing a high coercive force while bearing the magnetization of the permanent magnet. Further, when a large amount of Co is contained, the Curie temperature is increased and the thermal stability of the permanent magnet is improved. If the Co content is too small, these effects cannot be obtained sufficiently. However, when the Co content is excessive, the content ratio of Fe is relatively lowered and the magnetization is lowered. Therefore, the content of Co is set so that the content of Fe satisfies the above-mentioned range in consideration of each content of the element R, the element M, and Cu.

  Part of Co is nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta) and tungsten (W). Substitution with at least one element A selected from These substitution elements A contribute to improvement of magnet characteristics, for example, coercive force. However, since excessive substitution of Co with the element A may cause a decrease in magnetization, the substitution amount with the element A is preferably 20 atomic% or less of Co.

The permanent magnet of this embodiment is a sintered magnet made of a sintered body having a composition represented by composition formula 1. The sintered magnet (sintered body) has a region including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase as a main phase. Here, the main phase of the sintered magnet is the phase having the largest area ratio in the observed image (SEM image) when the cross section of the sintered body is observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is shown. The main phase of the sintered magnet is a phase separated structure formed by subjecting a TbCu ₇ type crystal phase (1-7 phase / high temperature phase) formed by solution treatment to a precursor and aging treatment, that is, Th ₂ Zn. It is preferable to have a phase separation structure of a cell phase composed of a _17- type crystal phase (2-17 phase) and a cell wall phase composed of a CaCu ₅ type crystal phase (1-5 phase) or the like. Since the domain wall energy of the cell wall phase is larger than that of the cell phase, this domain wall energy difference becomes a barrier for domain wall movement. That is, it is considered that the domain wall pinning type coercive force is expressed by the cell wall phase having a large domain wall energy acting as a pinning site.

The sintered magnet of the embodiment has crystal grains composed of a main phase including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase, and is composed of a polycrystalline body (sintered body) of such crystal grains. A grain boundary phase exists at the grain boundaries (crystal grain boundaries) of the crystal grains constituting the sintered body. The size of the crystal grains constituting the sintered body (crystal grain size) is generally on the order of microns (for example, about 5 to 500 μm), and the thickness of the grain boundary phase existing at the grain boundaries of such crystal grains is also Micron order. On the other hand, the size of the cell phase in the main phase is nano-order (for example, about 50 to 400 nm), and the thickness of the cell wall phase surrounding such a cell phase is also nano-order (for example, about 2 to 30 nm). Thus, the crystal grains constituting the sintered magnet are different from the cell phase in the main phase. Similarly, the grain boundary phase existing at the crystal grain boundary is also different from the cell wall phase surrounding the cell phase. The phase separation structure by the cell phase and the cell wall phase exists in the crystal grains (main phase).

  In the Sm—Co based sintered magnet, the metal structure (sintered structure) observed by SEM or the like includes various phases (heterogeneous phases) in addition to the main phase described above. Among such different phases, it was found that a Cu-rich phase having a higher Cu concentration than that of the main phase and its precipitation form affect the strength and coercive force of the Sm—Co-based sintered magnet. That is, magnetic properties such as coercive force due to the main phase having a phase-separated structure of the Cu-rich phase, which is a different phase, by making the Cu-rich phase thin and streaky at the grain boundaries of the crystal grains constituting the sintered magnet It is possible to increase the density of the sintered magnet (sintered body) while suppressing adverse effects on the copper, and further suppress the coarsening of crystal grains and the progress of cracks in the Cu-rich phase. With these, it is possible to improve both the magnetic properties such as coercive force and magnetization and the mechanical properties such as strength of the Sm—Co sintered magnet.

The sintered magnet (sintered body) of the embodiment includes crystal grains composed of a main phase including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase, and a Cu-rich phase having an average thickness in the range of 0.05 μm to 2 μm. Yes. As described above, the Cu-rich phase is preferably present in a thin streak shape at the grain boundaries of the crystal grains constituting the sintered magnet. If the average thickness of the Cu-rich phase is less than 0.05 μm, in other words, if the amount of precipitation of the Cu-rich phase at the crystal grain boundary is insufficient, the density of the sintered body cannot be increased, and the sintered magnet As a result, the effect of improving the strength cannot be obtained. When the average thickness of the Cu-rich phase exceeds 2 μm, in other words, when the amount of precipitation of the Cu-rich phase at the crystal grain boundary is too large, the strength of the sintered magnet can be increased, but the amount of different phases in the sintered magnet In addition to an increase in Cu, the Cu concentration in the main phase is reduced due to excessive concentration of Cu in the Cu-rich phase, and the phase separation of the main phase is inhibited, so the coercivity of the sintered magnet is reduced. .

  As described above, according to the Cu-rich phase having an average thickness in the range of 0.05 to 2 μm, mechanical properties such as strength can be enhanced in addition to magnetic properties such as coercivity and magnetization of the sintered magnet. . That is, an alloy constituting the Sm—Co based sintered magnet is made of a brittle intermetallic compound, and a sintered body of such an alloy is particularly susceptible to deterioration in strength characteristics. As a factor that degrades the strength of the sintered magnet, it is difficult to cause plastic deformation of the intermetallic compound. For this reason, when stress is applied, fracture occurs at the grain boundaries. It is effective to increase the yield stress of the alloy in order to prevent breakage due to such stress loading. With respect to such a point, by causing a Cu-rich phase having an appropriate thickness to exist in the crystal grain boundary of the sintered body, it is possible to suppress breakage of the crystal grain boundary when stress is applied. Furthermore, the progress of cracks can be suppressed by the Cu-rich phase.

  Furthermore, when a Cu-rich phase is present at the crystal grain boundary of the sintered body, movement of the crystal grain boundary during sintering can be suppressed, so that coarsening of the crystal grains can be suppressed. It is said that a hole-petch relationship is established between the crystal grain size and strength of the sintered body, and the strength is improved by suppressing the coarsening of the crystal grains. In addition, the Cu-rich phase also functions as a dislocation pinning site, and it is considered that this also contributes to the improvement of the strength of the sintered magnet. Based on these factors, the strength of the Sm—Co-based sintered magnet can be improved by allowing a Cu-rich phase having an appropriate thickness to be present at the crystal grain boundaries of the sintered body. The average thickness of the Cu rich phase is more preferably in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 0.15 to 1 μm.

  As described above, the Cu-rich phase has an effect of suppressing the coarsening of crystal grains constituting the sintered body. Specifically, the crystal grains constituting the sintered body preferably have an average crystal grain size in the range of 35 μm to 200 μm. When the average crystal grain size of the crystal grains exceeds 200 μm, the strength of the sintered magnet tends to decrease. As described above, the presence of a Cu-rich phase having an appropriate thickness at the crystal grain boundary suppresses excessive coarsening of the crystal grains, and allows the average crystal grain size of the crystal grains to be 200 μm or less. . However, there is a possibility that the crystal grain boundary becomes a magnetization reversal nucleus. If the crystal grain size is too small, the grain boundaries increase, and the coercive force and the squareness tend to decrease. Accordingly, the average crystal grain size of the crystal grains is preferably 35 μm or more.

  In addition to the average thickness described above, the Cu-rich phase preferably has a volume fraction in the sintered magnet (sintered body) in the range of 0.01% to 5%. If the volume fraction of the Cu-rich phase exceeds 5%, in addition to increasing the amount of heterogeneous phase in the sintered magnet, Cu is too concentrated in the Cu-rich phase, which inhibits phase separation of the main phase. The coercive force of the sintered magnet tends to decrease. When the volume fraction of the Cu-rich phase is less than 0.01%, the effect of improving the strength of the sintered body cannot be obtained sufficiently, and the magnetization of the sintered magnet tends to be lowered. The volume fraction of the Cu rich phase is more preferably in the range of 0.03 to 3%, and still more preferably in the range of 0.05 to 2%.

The Cu rich phase described above has a composition represented by the following composition formula 2.
Formula _{2: R p2 Fe q2 M r2} Cu s2 Co 100-p2-q2-r2-s2
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti, and Hf, and p2, q2, r2, and s2 are each in atomic%, and 10. (8 ≦ p2 ≦ 11.6, 25 ≦ q2 ≦ 40, 1 ≦ r2 ≦ 2, 5 ≦ s2 ≦ 16, 1 <s2 / s1)
When the composition of the Cu rich phase is out of the range of the composition formula 2, it is not possible to obtain an improvement effect such as density and strength based on the Cu rich phase. The Cu content (s2) of the Cu-rich phase is in the range of 1.5 times to 4 times the Cu content (s1) in the overall composition of the sintered body (1.5 ≦ s2 / s1 ≦ 4). It is preferable that Thereby, the strength of the sintered magnet can be more effectively improved while keeping the coercive force of the sintered magnet better.

  The relationship between the appearance of the Cu-rich phase in the Sm-Co based sintered magnet and the strength and magnetic properties will be described in detail. The Sm-Co sintered magnet is produced by melting raw materials such as Sm and Co to form an alloy ingot, and then compressing and molding the powder obtained by pulverizing the alloy ingot in a magnetic field. . As shown in the SEM-reflected electron image of FIG. 1, the alloy ingot includes various phases (heterogeneous phases) in addition to the 2-17 phase as the main phase. Different phases tend to precipitate more easily as the Fe concentration increases. If a sintered body is produced using such an alloy powder containing various phases, the sintering process is expected to be more complicated than when an alloy powder with few different phases is used. That is, when the melting points of the main phase and the heterogeneous phase are greatly different, it is conceivable that the phase having a low melting point melts and becomes a liquid phase during the temperature rising process during sintering. In this case, sintering is considered to proceed in a process similar to liquid phase sintering, that is, liquid phase.

  The amount of the heterogeneous phase in the alloy powder (raw material powder) tends to increase as the Fe concentration increases. In the composition of high Fe concentration, the liquid phase related to melting of the heterogeneous phase, which was not a concern with the conventional composition, should be used. It may be necessary to establish a sintering method that takes into account. Therefore, in the sintering process of the alloy powder, the metal structure at the intermediate stage was examined in detail, and the control method of the metal structure for high density was examined. Since sintering of the Sm-Co magnet is generally performed at about 1170 to 1230 ° C., the temperature is raised to a certain temperature below the sintering temperature and held for a certain period of time, and then rapidly cooled from the holding temperature. A sample was prepared in which the metal structure during the temperature increase was kept at room temperature. A plurality of samples having different temperatures reached at the time of temperature increase were prepared, and the metal structures of these samples were compared. Here, an alloy powder having a Sm—Zr—Cu—Fe—Co composition was used.

  When the metal structure (fine structure) of each sample was observed, it was recognized that phases other than the main phase 2-17 phase were present. Further careful observation of the different phases revealed that there were several different phases. Specifically, an oxide of Sm, an ultra-Zr rich phase having a Zr concentration of 80% or more, an Sm-Zr rich phase having a higher Sm concentration and Zr concentration than the main phase, and a higher Cu concentration and Zr concentration than the main phase. It was confirmed that a Cu-Zr rich phase, a Cu rich phase in which only the Cu concentration is higher than the main phase, and the like exist. Among these different phases, it has become clear that the conditions during the temperature increase in the sintering process have a great influence on the precipitation form of the Cu-rich phase in particular. Furthermore, it has been found that the precipitation state of the Cu-rich phase greatly affects the density and strength of the sintered body.

  That is, the precipitation state of the Cu rich phase can be controlled by adjusting the conditions at the time of raising the temperature in the sintering process. Furthermore, the density and strength of the sintered body (sintered magnet) can be improved by controlling the precipitation state of the Cu-rich phase. The precipitation state of the Cu rich phase can be controlled particularly by the atmosphere at the time of temperature rise. Specifically, a Cu atmosphere is formed in a suitable shape by switching to an inert gas atmosphere such as Ar gas at a specific temperature close to the sintering temperature and continuing sintering at a specific temperature close to the sintering temperature. Can be generated. The switching temperature from the vacuum atmosphere to the inert gas atmosphere is largely related to the phase state of the raw material. Therefore, thermal analysis by differential thermal analysis (DTA) was performed on the raw material powder, and the results are shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 2, there is a large endothermic peak in the vicinity of 1210 to 1250 ° C., which is considered to be an endothermic peak due to melting of these main phases.

Furthermore, in the thermal analysis result of the Sm—Zr—Cu—Fe—Co alloy powder having a high Fe concentration shown in FIG. 2, a curve suddenly rises from around 1165 ° C. near the maximum peak, and an endothermic peak occurs. It is recognized that This maximum peak may have an inflection point in the middle of temperature rise (around 1210 ° C.), indicating that the curve rises more steeply. The maximum peak is considered to be the endothermic peak due to the melting of the main phase, and the intersection T ₁ between the tangent line and the baseline at the steepest end of this endothermic peak is about 1210 ° C., and this alloy system It is thought that this is a reasonable temperature as the melting point predicted from. From these facts, it seems that two or more phase changes have occurred. That is, it is considered that the melting point of the phase different from the main phase exists on the low temperature side (around 1165 ° C.).

  Therefore, the above-mentioned compression-molded alloy powder is formed by using 1160 ° C (B), which is around the rising temperature of the thermal analysis curve, 1130 ° C (A), 1160 ° C to 30 ° C lower, and 1170 ° C (C) 1160 ° C to 10 ° C higher. The sample was heated in a vacuum atmosphere to each temperature of 1), held for 1 minute, then switched to an Ar gas atmosphere and rapidly cooled to prepare a sample having a metal structure during the temperature increase. 3A, 3B, and 3C show SEM-reflected electron images of each sample. In the sample heated to 1130 ° C. (A) (1130 ° C. material), only a Cu—M rich phase appeared in addition to the Sm oxide as a phase other than the main phase. In the sample heated to 1160 ° C. (A) (1160 ° C. material) and the sample heated to 1170 ° C. (A) (1170 ° C. material), a Cu-rich phase further appeared. These samples were heated to a sintering temperature in an Ar gas atmosphere and sintered to prepare samples having a sintered metal structure. 4A, 4B and 4C show SEM-reflected electron images of each sample (sintered material).

  As is apparent from FIGS. 4A to 4C, the state of formation of the Cu rich phase is different. In the sintered material of 1130 ° C., the formation of a Cu rich phase was not observed, and in the sintered material of 1160 ° C., a small amount of Cu rich phase was precipitated in the form of a plate at the grain boundary, and the thickness was 0.15 μm. It was about. In the sintered material of 1180 ° C. material, the thickness of the Cu rich phase increased to about 0.5 μm. The mechanical properties of these samples were evaluated by measuring the bending strength by a three-point bending test. The sintered material of the 1130 ° C. material was as low as 60 MPa, whereas the sintered material of the 1160 ° C. material was as high as 100 MPa. The sintered material of 1180 ° C. showed a higher value of 115 MPa. The sintered material of 1130 ° C. material also has a low density, and hence a low magnetization. Both the 1160 ° C. material and the 1180 ° C. sintered material had a sufficient density. The coercive force of the 1180 ° C. sintered material was slightly lower than that of the 1160 ° C. sintered material. When the switching temperature from the vacuum atmosphere to the Ar gas atmosphere is further increased, the thickness of the Cu-rich phase increases and the coercive force tends to further decrease.

  Thus, with reference to the rising temperature of the endothermic peak appearing between 1100 ° C. and 1220 ° C. in the DTA curve obtained by the suggested thermal analysis, an inert gas such as an Ar gas atmosphere from a vacuum atmosphere in the temperature rising process of the sintering process By adjusting the temperature for switching to the atmosphere, it is possible to control the presence or absence of precipitation of the Cu rich phase in the sintered body, and further the precipitation form (including the amount of precipitation) of the Cu rich phase. Then, after raising the temperature in the vacuum atmosphere to the vicinity of the rising temperature of the endothermic peak described above, switching to an inert gas atmosphere such as an Ar gas atmosphere is performed to perform sintering, so that it is suitable for the grain boundaries of the sintered body. A Cu rich phase with an appropriate thickness and amount can be deposited. Thereby, the strength and coercive force of the sintered body (sintered magnet) can be improved.

  In the permanent magnet of this embodiment, each element concentration such as Cu concentration in the main phase or Cu-rich phase is measured by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy: SEM-EDX). Can do. SEM-EDX observation is performed on the inside of the sintered body. The measurement inside the sintered body is as shown below. At the center of the longest side of the surface having the largest area, the composition is measured at the surface and inside of the cross section cut perpendicularly to the side (in the case of a curve, perpendicular to the tangent to the center).

  In the cross section, the measurement point is the reference line 1 drawn from the position of 1/2 of each side to the end perpendicular to the side to the end, and the inner angle of the corner starting from the center of each corner. A reference line 2 drawn to the end toward the inside at a position of 1/2 of the angle is provided, and the position of 1% of the length of the reference line from the starting point of these reference lines 1 and 2 is the surface portion, 40% Define the position as internal. In addition, when a corner | angular part has a curvature by chamfering etc., let the intersection which extended the adjacent edge | side be an edge part (center of a corner | angular part). In this case, the measurement location is not from the intersection point but from the portion in contact with the reference line.

  By making the measurement points as described above, for example, when the cross section is a quadrangle, the reference line is a total of eight reference lines 1 and 2, and the measurement points are 8 points on the surface and inside, respectively. Become. In this embodiment, it is preferable that all eight portions are within the above-described composition range in the surface portion and inside, but it is sufficient that at least four portions each in the surface portion and inside are within the above-described composition range. In this case, the relationship between the surface portion and the inside of one reference line is not specified. After the observation surface inside the sintered body thus defined is polished and smoothed, SEM observation is performed at a magnification of 2500 times. The acceleration voltage is preferably 20 kV. The observation place of SEM-EDX is 20 arbitrary points in the crystal grain, measurement is performed at each of these points, an average value is obtained, and this average value is used as the concentration of each element.

  The thickness of the Cu rich phase is determined as follows. That is, using a SEM-reflected electron image captured at a magnification of 25000 times, a point where crystal grain boundaries of at least three adjacent crystal grains intersect (for example, when three crystal grains intersect, a triple point is given. ) And the center position of the crystal grain boundary between adjacent intersecting points. In a state where the magnification of the SEM-reflected electron image is enlarged to 5000 times, the thickness of the crystal grain boundary (Cu rich phase) at the specified center position is measured. The thickness of the crystal grain boundary is a thickness perpendicular to the grain boundary direction. Such a measurement is performed with respect to 20 points, and the average value thereof is taken as the thickness of the Cu-rich phase.

  The volume fraction of the Cu-rich phase is defined by the area ratio of the Cu-rich phase in the visual field observed with an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The area ratio of the Cu rich phase can be determined as follows. First, a 2500 × BSE image is taken with a field emission (FE) type EPMA. A commercially available image analysis software or the like performs specific contrast extraction on the captured image using two threshold values, and then calculates the area. In contrast extraction, two “threshold values” are provided for the luminance (brightness) of each pixel of an image. If it is greater than or equal to A and less than or equal to the threshold value B, the region is identified as “1”. As the threshold value, a value at which the luminance to be extracted is minimum on both sides of the distribution is used, and the region is selected. When different contrast and luminance distributions overlap, a value that minimizes the luminance of both is used as a threshold value, and that region is selected.

  The average grain size (average grain size) of the crystal grains constituting the sintered body (sintered magnet) can be measured by an electron backscattering diffraction pattern (SEM-Electron Backscattering Pattern: SEM-EBSP). The procedure for obtaining the average grain area and the average grain size of the crystal grains present in the measurement area is shown below. First, as a pretreatment, the sample is embedded with an epoxy resin, machine-polished and buffed, and then washed with water and sprayed with air blow. The surface of the sprinkled sample is treated with a dry etching apparatus. Next, the sample surface is observed with a scanning electron microscope S-4300SE (manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Corp.) attached with EBSD System-Digiview (manufactured by TSL Corp.). The observation conditions are an acceleration voltage of 30 kV and a measurement area of 500 μm × 500 μm. From the observation results, the average grain area and average grain size of the crystal grains existing within the measurement area are determined under the following conditions.

  At a step size of 2 μm, the orientation of all pixels within the measurement area range is measured, and a boundary where the orientation difference between adjacent pixels is 5 ° or more is regarded as a crystal grain boundary. However, crystal grains having less than 5 measurement points included in the same crystal grain and crystal grains reaching the end of the measurement area range are not regarded as crystal grains. The grain area is the area within the same crystal grain surrounded by the crystal grain boundary, and the average grain area is the average value of the area of the crystal grains existing within the measurement area range. The particle diameter is the diameter of a perfect circle having the same area as that in the same crystal grain, and the average particle diameter is the average value of the grain diameters of the crystal grains present in the measurement area range.

  The permanent magnet of this embodiment is produced as follows, for example. First, an alloy powder containing a predetermined amount of element is prepared. The alloy powder is prepared, for example, by casting a molten alloy melted by an arc melting method or a high frequency melting method to form an alloy ingot, and then pulverizing the alloy ingot. Other methods for preparing the alloy powder include a strip casting method, a mechanical alloying method, a mechanical grinding method, a gas atomizing method, a reduction diffusion method, and the like, and an alloy powder prepared by these methods may be used. The alloy powder thus obtained or the alloy before pulverization may be homogenized by performing a heat treatment as necessary. Flakes and ingots are pulverized using a jet mill, a ball mill, or the like. The pulverization is preferably performed in an inert gas atmosphere or an organic solvent in order to prevent oxidation of the alloy powder.

  Next, a mold formed in an electromagnet or the like is filled with an alloy powder and subjected to pressure molding while applying a magnetic field, thereby producing a compression molded body in which crystal axes are oriented. By sintering this compression molded body under appropriate conditions, a sintered body having a high density can be obtained. The sintering of the compression-molded body is preferably performed by combining firing in a vacuum atmosphere and firing in an inert gas atmosphere such as Ar gas. In this case, the compression molded body is first heated to a predetermined temperature in a vacuum atmosphere, and then the firing atmosphere is switched from a vacuum atmosphere to an inert gas atmosphere and then heated to a predetermined sintering temperature and sintered. Is preferred. The switching temperature from the vacuum atmosphere to the inert gas atmosphere is preferably set based on the rising temperature of the endothermic peak appearing between 1100 ° C. and 1220 ° C. in the DTA curve as described above.

  When the rising temperature of the endothermic peak in the DTA curve is Tp [° C.], the switching temperature T [° C.] from the vacuum atmosphere to the inert gas atmosphere is “Tp−25 [° C.] <T <Tp + 25 [° C.]”. It is preferable to set so as to satisfy. When the switching temperature T of the atmosphere is “Tp−25 [° C.]” or lower, a sufficient Cu-rich phase cannot be regenerated at the crystal grain boundaries, and the density and strength of the sintered body cannot be increased. On the other hand, when the switching temperature T of the atmosphere is “Tp + 25 [° C.]” or more, the coercive force of the sintered magnet is lowered. The switching temperature T is more preferably in the range of “Tp−15 [° C.] <T <Tp + 15 [° C.]”, and more preferably in the range of “Tp−10 [° C.] <T <Tp + 10 [° C.]”. .

The degree of vacuum when raising the temperature in a vacuum atmosphere is preferably 9 × 10 ⁻² Pa or less. When the vacuum atmosphere exceeds 9 × 10 ⁻² Pa, an oxide such as Sm is excessively formed and the magnetic characteristics are deteriorated. Furthermore, by raising the temperature in a vacuum atmosphere of 9 × 10 ⁻² Pa or less, the generation of the Cu rich phase can be controlled more effectively. The vacuum atmosphere is more preferably 5 × 10 ⁻² Pa or less, and further preferably 1 × 10 ⁻² Pa or less. In addition, when switching from a vacuum atmosphere to an inert gas atmosphere, holding for a certain period of time is also effective, and this can enhance the effect of improving density and strength. The holding time is preferably 1 minute or longer, more preferably 5 minutes or longer, and further preferably 25 minutes or longer. However, if the holding time is too long, the magnetic force may decrease due to evaporation of Sm or the like, and therefore the holding time is preferably 60 minutes or less.

  The sintering temperature in an inert gas atmosphere is preferably 1215 ° C. or lower. If the Fe concentration is high, the melting point is expected to decrease. Therefore, if the sintering temperature is too high, evaporation of Sm or the like tends to occur. The sintering temperature is more preferably 1205 ° C. or lower, and further preferably 1195 ° C. or lower. However, in order to increase the density of the sintered body, the sintering temperature is preferably 1170 ° C. or higher, more preferably 1180 ° C. or higher. The holding time depending on the sintering temperature is preferably 0.5 to 15 hours. As a result, a dense sintered body can be obtained. When the sintering time is less than 0.5 hour, non-uniformity occurs in the density of the sintered body. If the sintering time exceeds 15 hours, good magnetic properties may not be obtained due to evaporation of Sm or the like. A more preferable sintering time is 1 to 10 hours, and further preferably 1 to 4 hours.

  Next, a solution treatment and an aging treatment are performed on the obtained sintered body to control the crystal structure. In order to obtain the 1-7 phase which is a precursor of a phase-separated structure, the solution treatment is preferably heat-treated at a temperature in the range of 1100 to 1190 ° C. for 0.5 to 16 hours. At temperatures below 1100 ° C. and temperatures above 1190 ° C., the ratio of the 1-7 phase in the sample after solution treatment is small, and good magnetic properties cannot be obtained. The solution treatment temperature is more preferably in the range of 1120 to 1180 ° C, and further preferably in the range of 1120 to 1170 ° C. If the solution treatment time is less than 0.5 hours, the constituent phases tend to be non-uniform, and if it exceeds 16 hours, Sm in the sintered body may evaporate and good magnetic properties may not be obtained. The solution treatment time is more preferably in the range of 1 to 14 hours, and still more preferably in the range of 3 to 12 hours. The solution treatment is preferably performed in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere in order to prevent oxidation.

  Next, an aging treatment is performed on the sintered body after the solution treatment. The aging treatment is a treatment for controlling the crystal structure and increasing the coercive force of the magnet. The aging treatment is held at a temperature of 700 to 900 ° C. for 4 to 80 hours, and then gradually cooled to a temperature of 300 to 650 ° C. at a cooling rate of 0.2 to 2 ° C./min, and then cooled to room temperature by furnace cooling. It is preferable. The aging treatment may be performed by a two-stage heat treatment. For example, the above-described heat treatment is the first stage, and then the second stage heat treatment is held at a temperature of 300 to 650 ° C. for a certain period of time, and then cooled to room temperature by furnace cooling. The aging treatment is preferably performed in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere in order to prevent oxidation.

  When the aging treatment temperature is lower than 700 ° C. or higher than 900 ° C., a homogeneous mixed structure of the cell phase and the cell wall phase cannot be obtained, and the magnetic properties of the permanent magnet may be deteriorated. The aging treatment temperature is more preferably 750 to 880 ° C, and further preferably 780 to 860 ° C. When the aging treatment time is less than 4 hours, the cell wall phase may not be sufficiently precipitated from the 1-7 phase. On the other hand, when the aging treatment time exceeds 80 hours, the cell wall volume increases in thickness and the volume fraction of the cell phase decreases or the crystal grains become coarse, resulting in good magnetic properties. May not be obtained. The aging treatment time is more preferably 6 to 60 hours, further preferably 8 to 45 hours.

  When the cooling rate after the aging heat treatment is less than 0.2 ° C./min, the cell wall volume increases in thickness and the volume fraction of the cell phase decreases or the crystal grains become coarse. , Good magnetic properties may not be obtained. If the cooling rate after the aging heat treatment exceeds 2 ° C./min, a homogeneous mixed structure of the cell phase and the cell wall phase cannot be obtained, and the magnetic properties of the permanent magnet may be deteriorated. The cooling rate after the aging heat treatment is more preferably in the range of 0.4 to 1.5 ° C./min, and still more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.3 ° C./min.

  The aging treatment is not limited to the two-stage heat treatment, and may be a multi-stage heat treatment, and it is also effective to perform multi-stage cooling. It is also effective to perform a preliminary aging treatment (preliminary aging treatment) at a temperature lower than that of the aging treatment and for a short time as a pretreatment of the aging treatment. This is expected to improve the squareness of the magnetization curve. Specifically, the temperature of the preliminary aging treatment is 650 to 790 ° C., the treatment time is 0.5 to 4 hours, and the slow cooling rate after the aging treatment is 0.5 to 1.5 ° C./min. Improvement in the squareness of the magnet is expected.

  The permanent magnet of this embodiment can be used for various motors and generators. Further, it can be used as a fixed magnet or a variable magnet of a variable magnetic flux motor or a variable magnetic flux generator. Various motors and generators are configured by using the permanent magnet of this embodiment. When the permanent magnet of this embodiment is applied to a variable magnetic flux motor, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2008-29148 and 2008-43172 is applied to the configuration and drive system of the variable magnetic flux motor. be able to.

  Next, the motor and the generator of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows a permanent magnet motor according to the embodiment. In the permanent magnet motor 11 shown in FIG. 5, a rotor (rotor) 13 is disposed in a stator (stator) 12. In the iron core 14 of the rotor 13, the permanent magnet 15 of the embodiment is disposed. Based on the characteristics and the like of the permanent magnet of the embodiment, the permanent magnet motor 11 can be made highly efficient, downsized, reduced in cost, and the like.

  FIG. 6 shows a variable magnetic flux motor according to the embodiment. In the variable magnetic flux motor 21 shown in FIG. 6, a rotor (rotor) 23 is disposed in a stator (stator) 22. In the iron core 24 of the rotor 33, the permanent magnets of the embodiment are arranged as a fixed magnet 25 and a variable magnet 26. The variable magnet 26 can vary the magnetic flux density (magnetic flux amount). Since the magnetization direction of the variable magnet 26 is perpendicular to the Q-axis direction, the variable magnet 26 can be magnetized by the D-axis current without being affected by the Q-axis current. The rotor 23 is provided with a magnetized winding (not shown). By passing a current from the magnetization circuit through the magnetization winding, the magnetic field directly acts on the variable magnet 26.

  According to the permanent magnet of the embodiment, by changing the various conditions of the manufacturing method described above, for example, a fixed magnet 25 having a coercive force exceeding 500 kA / m and a variable magnet 26 having a coercive force of 500 kA / m or less are obtained. Can do. In the variable magnetic flux motor 21 shown in FIG. 6, the permanent magnet of the embodiment can be used for both the fixed magnet 25 and the variable magnet 26, but the permanent magnet of the embodiment is used for either one of the magnets. It may be used. Since the variable magnetic flux motor 21 can output a large torque with a small device size, the variable magnetic flux motor 21 is suitable for a motor such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle that requires a high output and a small size of the motor.

  FIG. 7 shows a generator according to the embodiment. A generator 31 shown in FIG. 7 includes a stator (stator) 32 using the permanent magnet of the embodiment. A rotor (rotor) 33 disposed inside the stator (stator) 32 is connected to a turbine 34 provided at one end of the generator 31 via a shaft 35. The turbine 34 is rotated by a fluid supplied from the outside, for example. Note that the shaft 35 can be rotated by transmitting dynamic rotation such as regenerative energy of the automobile instead of the turbine 34 rotated by the fluid. Various known configurations can be employed for the stator 32 and the rotor 33.

  The shaft 35 is in contact with a commutator (not shown) disposed on the side opposite to the turbine 34 with respect to the rotor 33, and the electromotive force generated by the rotation of the rotor 33 is phase-separated as the output of the generator 31. Via a bus and a main transformer (not shown), the system voltage is boosted and transmitted. The generator 31 may be either a normal generator or a variable magnetic flux generator. Note that the rotor 33 is charged by static electricity from the turbine 34 or shaft current accompanying power generation. For this reason, the generator 31 includes a brush 36 for discharging the charging of the rotor 33.

  Next, examples and evaluation results thereof will be described.

(Examples 1-2)
Each raw material was weighed so as to have the composition shown in Table 1, and then melted at high frequency in an Ar gas atmosphere to prepare an alloy ingot. The alloy ingot was coarsely pulverized and further finely pulverized with a jet mill to prepare an alloy powder. The obtained alloy powder was subjected to differential thermal analysis, and the rising temperature Tp of the endothermic peak (maximum peak) appearing between 1100 ° C. and 1220 ° C. on the DTA curve was determined by the method described above. For the measurement of the DTA curve, a differential thermal balance / TGD-7000 type (manufactured by ULVAC-RIKO) was used. The measurement temperature range was from room temperature to 1650 ° C., the heating rate was 10 ° C./min, and the atmosphere was Ar gas (flow rate 100 mL / min). The amount of the sample was about 300 mg, and the measurement was carried out in an alumina container. Alumina was used as a reference. Table 2 shows the peak rising temperature Tp of the alloy powder thus obtained.

Next, the alloy powder was press-molded in a magnetic field to produce a compression molded body. The compression-molded body of the alloy powder was placed in the chamber of the firing furnace and evacuated until the degree of vacuum in the chamber was 9.5 × 10 ⁻³ Pa. In this state, the temperature in the chamber was raised to a temperature T (atmosphere switching temperature) shown in Table 2 and held at that temperature for 5 minutes, and then Ar gas was introduced into the chamber. The temperature in the chamber in an Ar atmosphere was raised to 1195 ° C., held at that temperature for 3 hours for sintering, and subsequently held at 1165 ° C. for 6 hours for solution treatment. The sintered body after solution treatment was kept at 720 ° C. for 4 hours, then gradually cooled to room temperature, and further kept at 840 ° C. for 25 hours. The sintered body subjected to the aging treatment under such conditions was gradually cooled to 400 ° C. at a cooling rate of 0.4 ° C./min, and further cooled to the room temperature to obtain the intended sintered magnet. .

  The composition of the sintered magnet is as shown in Table 1. The composition analysis of the magnet was performed by an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method. Moreover, according to the method mentioned above, the average thickness of the Cu rich phase in a sintered magnet (sintered body), a volume fraction, a composition, and a sintered density were measured. The magnetic properties of the sintered magnet were evaluated with a BH tracer, and the coercive force and remanent magnetization were measured. The bending strength of the sintered magnet (sintered body) was measured according to the following method. These measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. In addition, when the average crystal grain size of the sintered body was determined, it was confirmed to be in the range of 35 to 200 μm described above.

  The composition analysis by the ICP method was performed according to the following procedure. First, a sample collected from the described measurement location is pulverized in a mortar, and a certain amount of this pulverized sample is weighed and placed in a quartz beaker. A mixed acid (including nitric acid and hydrochloric acid) is added and heated to about 140 ° C. on a hot plate to completely dissolve the sample. After standing to cool, transfer to a PFA volumetric flask and make a constant volume to obtain a sample solution. With respect to such a sample solution, the contained components are quantified by a calibration curve method using an ICP emission spectroscopic analyzer. As an ICP emission spectroscopic analyzer, SPS4000 (trade name) manufactured by SII Nanotechnology Inc. was used.

  The bending strength of the sintered body was measured using a three-point bending tester, Rin-MIC1-07 (manufactured by Matsuzawa). The measurement sample conforms to JIS standards, and is produced by cutting out a bar-shaped test piece having a width of 4.0 mm, a thickness of 3.0 mm, and a length of 47 mm from an aging-treated sintered body sample. Cut out 5 bars from the same block as much as possible. When it is difficult to cut out, five pieces are cut out from the sintered body prepared under the same conditions. The sample surface is polished with sandpaper of about # 400 so that no clear scratches are observed. The distance between fulcrums is 40 mm, and the load application speed is 0.5 mm / min. The test is performed at room temperature. The average value of the measured values of the five samples is defined as the bending strength σb3.

(Examples 3 to 4)
Each raw material was weighed so as to have the composition shown in Table 1, and then arc-melted in an Ar gas atmosphere to prepare an alloy ingot. The alloy ingot was heat-treated at 1175 ° C. for 12 hours, coarsely pulverized, and further finely pulverized with a jet mill to prepare an alloy powder. Similar to Example 1, the peak rise temperature Tp of the alloy powder was determined. Subsequently, the alloy powder was press-molded in a magnetic field to produce a compression molded body. The compacted compact of the alloy powder was placed in the chamber of the firing furnace and evacuated until the degree of vacuum was 5.0 × 10 ⁻³ Pa. The temperature in the chamber is raised to a temperature T (atmosphere switching temperature) shown in Table 2 and held at that temperature for 15 minutes. After introducing Ar gas into the chamber, the temperature is raised to 1180 ° C. and the temperature is 3 Sintering was carried out for a period of time, followed by solution treatment by holding at 1135 ° C. for 12 hours.

  Next, the sintered body after the solution treatment was kept at 750 ° C. for 2 hours, then gradually cooled to room temperature, and further kept at 810 ° C. for 45 hours. Thereafter, the sintered body was gradually cooled to 400 ° C., held at that temperature for 1 hour, and then cooled to room temperature to obtain the intended sintered magnet. The composition of the sintered magnet is as shown in Table 1. The average thickness, volume fraction and composition of the Cu-rich phase in the sintered magnet (sintered body), the density of the sintered magnet, the coercive force, the residual magnetization, and the bending strength were measured in the same manner as in Example 1. . These measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. In addition, when the average crystal grain size of the sintered body was determined, it was confirmed to be in the range of 35 to 200 μm described above.

(Examples 5-7)
Each raw material was weighed so as to have the composition shown in Table 1, and then melted at high frequency in an Ar gas atmosphere to prepare an alloy ingot. The alloy ingot was heat-treated at 1160 ° C. for 8 hours, coarsely pulverized, and further finely pulverized with a jet mill to prepare an alloy powder. Similar to Example 1, the peak rise temperature Tp of the alloy powder was determined. Subsequently, the alloy powder was press-molded in a magnetic field to produce a compression molded body. The compacted body of the alloy powder was placed in a chamber of a firing furnace and evacuated until the degree of vacuum was 9.0 × 10 ⁻³ Pa. The temperature in the chamber is raised to a temperature T (atmosphere switching temperature) shown in Table 2 and held at that temperature for 3 minutes. After introducing Ar gas into the chamber, the temperature is raised to 1190 ° C., and the temperature is increased to 4 at that temperature. Sintering was carried out for a period of time, followed by a solution treatment by holding at 1130 ° C. for 12 hours.

  Next, the sintered body after the solution treatment was kept at 690 ° C. for 4 hours, then gradually cooled to room temperature, and further kept at 850 ° C. for 20 hours. Thereafter, the sintered body was gradually cooled to 350 ° C. and further furnace-cooled to room temperature to obtain a target sintered magnet. The composition of the sintered magnet is as shown in Table 1. The average thickness, volume fraction and composition of the Cu-rich phase in the sintered magnet (sintered body), the density of the sintered magnet, the coercive force, the residual magnetization, and the bending strength were measured in the same manner as in Example 1. . These measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. In addition, when the average crystal grain size of the sintered body was determined, it was confirmed to be in the range of 35 to 200 μm described above.

(Comparative Examples 1-2)
A sintered magnet was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition shown in Table 1 was applied. In Comparative Example 1, the Fe concentration in the alloy composition is less than 25 atomic%, and in Comparative Example 2, the Sm concentration in the alloy composition is less than 10 atomic%. The average thickness, volume fraction and composition of the Cu-rich phase in the sintered magnet (sintered body), the density of the sintered magnet, the coercive force, the residual magnetization, and the bending strength were measured in the same manner as in Example 1. . These measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

(Comparative Examples 3-4)
Each raw material was weighed so as to have the same composition as in Example 5, and then melted at high frequency in an Ar gas atmosphere to prepare an alloy ingot. The alloy ingot was heat-treated at 1160 ° C. for 8 hours, coarsely pulverized, and further finely pulverized with a jet mill to prepare an alloy powder. Similar to Example 1, the peak rise temperature Tp of the alloy powder was determined. Subsequently, the alloy powder was press-molded in a magnetic field to produce a compression molded body. Sintering, solution treatment, and aging treatment were performed in the same manner as in Example 5 except that the atmosphere switching temperature T in the sintering process was changed to the temperature shown in Table 2, and a sintered magnet was produced. The average thickness, volume fraction and composition of the Cu-rich phase in the sintered magnet (sintered body), the density of the sintered magnet, the coercive force, the residual magnetization, and the bending strength were measured in the same manner as in Example 1. . These measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

  As is clear from Tables 3 and 4, all of the sintered magnets of Examples 1 to 7 have a Cu-rich phase having an appropriate thickness and amount (volume fraction). It can be seen that in addition to the magnetic force, it has good mechanical properties (bending strength). In the sintered magnets of Examples 1 to 7, it was confirmed from SEM-reflected electron images that the Cu-rich phase was thin and streak-like at the crystal grain boundaries of the sintered body. According to Examples 1 to 7, it is possible to provide a sintered magnet having excellent magnetic properties and mechanical properties and high practicality.

  In addition, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Permanent magnet motor, 12 ... Stator, 13 ... Rotor, 14 ... Iron core, 15 ... Permanent magnet, 21 ... Variable magnetic flux motor, 22 ... Stator, 23 ... Rotor, 24 ... Iron core, 25 ... Fixed magnet, 26 ... Variable magnet 31 ... Variable magnetic flux generator, 32 ... Stator, 33 ... Rotor, 34 ... Turbine, 35 ... Shaft, 36 ... Brush.

Claims (10)

Formula _{1: R p1 Fe q1 M r1} Cu s1 Co 100-p1-q1-r1-s1
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, 50 atom% or more is Sm, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti and Hf, and p1, q1 , R1 and s1 are atomic%, and are numbers satisfying 10 ≦ p1 ≦ 13.3, 25 ≦ q1 ≦ 40, 0.87 ≦ r1 ≦ 5.4, 3.5 ≦ s1 ≦ 13.5)
A permanent magnet comprising a sintered body having a composition represented by:
The sintered body comprises crystal grains composed of a main phase including a Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase;
Formula _{2: R p2 Fe q2 M r2} Cu s2 Co 100-p2-q2-r2-s2
(In the formula, R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements, 50 atom% or more is Sm, M is at least one element selected from Zr, Ti and Hf, and p2, q2 , R2 and s2 are atomic% and satisfy 10.8 ≦ p2 ≦ 11.6, 25 ≦ q2 ≦ 40, 1 ≦ r2 ≦ 2, 5 ≦ s2 ≦ 16, 1.5 ≦ s2 / s1 ≦ 4 Number)
And a Cu-rich phase having an average thickness in the range of 0.05 μm or more and 2 μm or less.
The main phase includes a cell phase having the Th ₂ Zn ₁₇ type crystal phase, and a cell wall phase having a CaCu ₅ type crystal phase and existing so as to surround the cell phase,
The sintered body is a permanent magnet having a density of 8.08 g / cm ³ or more.   2. The crystal grain constituting the sintered body has an average crystal grain size in a range of 35 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and the Cu-rich phase is present in a streak pattern at a grain boundary of the crystal grain. The permanent magnet described. The volume fraction of the Cu-rich phase in the sintered body is in the range of 0.01% to 5%.
The permanent magnet according to claim 1 or 2.   The permanent magnet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 50 atomic% or more of the element M in the composition formula 1 and the composition formula 2 is Zr.   The permanent magnet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein 70 atomic% or more of the element R in the composition formula 1 and the composition formula 2 is Sm.   20 atomic percent or less of Co in the composition formula 1 and the composition formula 2 is substituted with at least one element A selected from Ni, V, Cr, Mn, Al, Ga, Nb, Ta, and W. The permanent magnet according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   A motor comprising the permanent magnet according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   A generator comprising the permanent magnet according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Automobile having a motor according to claim 7. An automobile comprising the generator according to claim 8.

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