Extrusion-compression method for producing bonded permanent magnets

A method for producing a bonded magnet, the method comprising:

• (i) low-shear compounding of a thermoplastic polymer and magnetic particles to form an initial homogeneous mixture of said thermoplastic polymer and magnetic particles;
• (ii) feeding said initial homogeneous mixture into a plasticator comprising a low-shear single screw rotating unidirectionally toward a die orifice, wherein said low-shear single screw is housed within a heated barrel to result in heating of the initial homogeneous mixture until the thermoplastic polymer melts and forms a further homogeneous mixture, wherein said further homogeneous mixture is transported within threads of the single screw towards the die orifice and exits the die orifice as a solid pellet;
• (iii) conveying said solid pellet into a mold and subjecting said solid pellet to compression molding while said pellet is in said mold, to form said bonded magnet, wherein said bonded magnet possesses a magnetic particle loading of at least 80 vol % and exhibits a maximum energy product varying by less than 5% throughout the bonded magnet.