The reinforcement strategy of electrophoretic deposition coating assisted by PVP for grain boundary diffusion of Nd-Fe-B magnet

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to enhance the quality of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) coatings for Nd-Fe-B grain boundary diffusion (GBD) by addressing issues related to the adhesion and densification of coating. We introduced a novel approach by incorporating polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) into an alcohol suspension containing TbH3 nano-powders. The addition of PVP resulted in the formation of a dense coating with superior adhesion and a smooth surface. To evaluate the effectiveness of the EPD coating with PVP, we compared the EPD rate of the TbH3 nano-powders alcohol suspension with and without PVP. The EPD rate of the suspension with PVP exhibited a significant 30-fold increase compared to the suspension without PVP, indicating a substantial improvement in the electrophoretic efficiency. Based on our experimental findings, we recommend depositing the EPD coating at a voltage of 120 V and adjusting the deposition time accordingly to achieve a desired coating weight percentage of 1.0 wt% with a thickness of approximately 30 μm. Following the GBD process, the coercivity of the magnet with PVP increased from 1131 kA/m to 1896 kA/m, which improved the high-temperature stability of the magnet. Overall, our research offers a promising approach to overcome the limitations associated with EPD coatings for GBD applications, providing a potential solution for enhancing the performance and industrial viability of these coatings.

Keywords

• Sintered Nd-Fe-B
• Electrophoretic deposition
• Grain boundary diffusion
• Dense coating
• PVP