SBIR-STTR Award

Electromechanical devices that incorporate permanent magnets are inherently superior in energy efficiency because, unlike electromagnets, they provide magnetomotive force without any energy dissipation. In the past, the application of permanent magnets was limited to very small devices, such as subfractional horsepower motors. Traditional methods to manufacture magnets also require many processing steps: pulverizing, milling, magnetic alignment of the grains, cold compacting followed by sintering, and post-sintering. Recent rapid advancement in permanent magnet technology has drastically changed this situation. In Phase I of this project, economic methods to produce grain-oriented neodymium-iron-boron magnets employing just a single-step extrusion process will be investigated. Because the alignment of a magnet produced by hot extrusion depends on the shape and dimensions of the extrusion die, the project will also examine shaped dies and the compositions of the alloys. During Phase II, the most promising approach will be selected, and scale-up of the process will begin. An electro-mechanical device, such as a brushless motor, will be designed and constructed during Phase II to determine the advantages of these magnets.Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee:Economically produced high-energy magnets will be extremely beneficial in the construction of inexpensive, high-efficiency brushless motors for applications in industrial drives, home appliances, and electric vehicles. Such magnets will also benefit the downsizing of computer peripherals, such as disk drive actuators.

High performance permanent magnets with large energy products are needed for the design and construction of energy efficient motors. However the use of such magnets in a variety of large scale motor applications will be realized only if these magnets are manufactured inexpensively. This project will employ hot extrusion techniques to fabricate inexpensive, high performance permanent magnets. In Phase I, experiments were conducted, and the use of extrusion as a viable technique to fabricate permanent magnets was demostrated. With this technique, rectangular magnets with a favorable texture and a moderate degree of grain alignment were constructed. Phase II will optimize the extrusion process to obtain high energy magnets and to lay the ground work for manufacturing such magnets.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
Permanent magnet- based electromechanical devices such as motors, actuators, and bearings may be built inexpensively using this process.