This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-246741 filed on Dec. 22, 2017 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-229110 filed on Dec. 6, 2018. The disclosures of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-246741 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-229110 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
The present invention relates to a method of producing an anisotropic magnetic powder.
JP 2008-171868 A discloses a method of producing a rare earth-iron-nitrogen anisotropic magnetic powder in which a starting powder is mixed with a reductant, and subsequently a rare earth oxide powder is reduced and diffused into iron. However, the anisotropic magnetic powder has insufficient magnetic properties, and there is room for improvement.
JP H05-78715 A discloses a method of producing a rare earth metal-containing alloy powder in which a rare earth metal oxide is subjected to an initial reduction-diffusion step and then to a second reduction-diffusion step. However, this method is intended to produce a neodymium magnetic material, and involves reduction-diffusion at a very low temperature to reduce sagging of some low melting point alloy components to the bottom of a reaction vessel during the production of a neodymium magnetic material.
The present invention aims to provide a method of producing an anisotropic magnetic powder having good magnetic properties.