Additive manufacturing of soft and hard magnetic materials

Abstract

For laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processing of powders sensitive to oxidation (e.g. hard magnetic Fe-Nd-B) or powders of various compositions (e.g. soft magnetic Fe-Si) or multilayer composites, special processing chambers have been developed. For soft magnetic materials with reduced losses, L-PBF allows to develop (1) optimized alloy compositions of increased content of alloying elements, (2) novel topological structures and (3) multilayer composites of alternating electrical insulating and soft magnetic materials similar to the principle of electrical steel. For hard magnetic materials, L-PBF allows to develop very fine microstructures of Fe-Nd-B alloy with directed crystal growth and finely dispersed Nd-rich phase.