Executive Summary : | Hard/permanent magnets are crucial components in modern conveniences such as mobile phones, electric motors, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, data storage, medical equipment, alternative energy technologies, atomic energy, space, and major military platforms. Permanent magnets with superior (BH)max values and higher thermal stability are needed for these applications. Initially, high C-steel, Co-Fe alloys, ternary alloys, and rare-earth-transition-metal magnets (RE-TMs) were explored but were less efficient due to lower energy product values. The country has a large demand for permanent magnets with superior (BH)max due to its mega projects on renewable energies like solar, wind, hydropower, and electric vehicles (EVs). However, dependency on other countries like China is a major hurdle for achieving set goals. It is urgent and strategic to produce Rare Earth Free Permanent Magnets (REFPM) to reduce reliance on RE magnets. L10-FeNi (tetrataenite, ordered phase) is one of the promising candidates among REFPMs due to its high uniaxial anisotropy and high Curie temperature.
The proposed proposal will prepare L10-FeNi alloy by wet chemical synthesis followed by calcination and vacuum induction melting. Exchange coupled magnets of FeNi with nanoparticles will be produced by cryo-milling, magnetically field pressed for alignment, and subjected to microwave sintering. The milled powders and sintered or bulk samples will be characterized using various methods, including x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Mӧssbauer Spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and magnetic properties measurement system (MPMS). |