Patent ID: 11915844
Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC H  B  C  Y | IPC B  C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method of processing NdFeB magnetic powder to form an NdFeB magnet, the method comprising:
providing a source of sintered NdFeB magnet material comprising Nd-oxide;
performing hydrogenation decrepitation on the sintered NdFeB magnet material to form hydrogenated NdFeB powder comprising Nd-oxide;
feeding the hydrogenated NdFeB powder into an inlet of a cyclone separator;
separating the powder into an overflow enriched in Nd-rich grain boundary phase and the Nd-oxide, and an underflow enriched in NdxFeyBHz matrix phase particles;
collecting the underflow;
blending the underflow with fresh Nd particles to produce an Nd-enriched powder; and
sintering and magnetising the Nd-enriched powder to form a NdFeB magnet.