NEXMAG New Exchange-Coupled Manganese-Based Magnetic Materials

Prof. Alberto Bollero

Funding :

M-ERA.NET. PCIN-2015-111

Duration: 2015 - 2017

36 months

NEXMAG aims at developing RE-free PMs as alternative to controversial Nd-Dy-Fe-B magnets. Among the different alternatives, MnAl is a promising choice due to the abundance of the constituent elements and potential magnetic properties. MnBi can provide additional information in the understanding of magnetic properties for Mn-based magnets. NEXMAG project will focus in nanocomposite Manganese-based materials and will make use of an approach based on the exchange-coupling phenomenon between two complementary
phases:

1. Magnetically hard phases: MnAl; MnBi
2. Magnetically soft phases: metals (Fe, FeCo)

Despite of single-phase MnAl and MnBi systems being extensively studied in recent years, many fundamental questions still remain unanswered, resulting in experimental (BH)max values (figure of merit for assessment of the magnetic quality) well below theoretical predictions.