Effect of lubricant milling aids on the recrystallization behavior and magnetic properties of ball-milled iron powders having (001) fiber texture for soft magnetic composite

Abstract In ball-milled iron particles for soft magnetic composites (SMCs), milling aids with lubricity can induce a (001) fiber texture with superior magnetic properties. Effects of lubricants on the recrystallization behavior of ball-milled iron particles with fiber texture and their magnetic properties of SMCs using the iron particles were investigated. During ball milling, lubricant oil and boron nitride (a solid lubrication particle) were used as lubricants. Both as-milled iron particles have a (001) fiber texture. However, when these iron particles are recrystallized using heat treatment, the iron particles milled using the lubricant oil almost disappeared while the fiber texture in the particles milled using the boron nitride was strongly retained. Therefore, it is concluded that ball milling for iron particles using boron nitride lubricant can retain (001) fiber texture in heat-treated iron particles, and SMC using these iron particles have higher permeability and lower coercive force.