Magnetic and Magnetostrictive Properties of Tb_xDy_0.7__xPr_0.3(Fe_0.9B_0.1)_1.93Compounds and Their Composites

TbxDy0.7-xPr0.3(Fe0.9B0.1)1.93(TDPFBx) multicomponent Laves compounds with x slightly varying in the anisotropy minimization region of 0.16-0.25 were prepared, together with their epoxy-bonded particulate composites with 53-vol% TDPFBxparticles, so as to investigate the dependence of their magnetic and magnetostrictive properties on x as a function of magnetic field. The composites showed similar qualitative trends in properties with the compounds for all x. The TDPFBx=0.22compound and composite exhibited the fastest saturation of magnetization with the lowest coercivity besides the largest low-field (< 400 kA/m) magnetostrictions ⋋a(= ⋋|| — ⋋⊥), piezomagnetic coefficients d33, and ratios of ⋋ato maximum ⋋a(⋋a⋋max). The TDPFBx=0.22composite demonstrated a large ⋋aof 490 ppm at 400 kA/m and a high d33of 1.4 nm/A at 160 kA/m. These values approached to 79% and 82% of its compound values at the same field levels. The high magnetostrictions combined with the low magnetic anisotropy could make the TDPFBx=0.22compound and composite be promising magnetostrictive materials.