Mechanical improvement of rare earth permanent magnets

A process for mechanically strengthening a rare earth permanent magnet, comprising:

• providing nanofibers or nanotubes;
• providing a ferromagnetic metal and a rare earth metal;
• defining a mixture by mixing said ferromagnetic metal and said rare earth metal with said nanofibers or nanotubes;
• pressing and shaping said mixture;
• and
• sintering said mixture.

A process for mechanically strengthening a rare earth permanent magnet, comprising:

• processing carbon and boron nitride nanofibers or nanotubes by reacting amorphous carbon and boron powder with ammonia in the presence of iron catalyst particles;
• providing iron oxide and a rare earth metal;
• defining a mixture by mixing said iron oxide and said rare earth metal with said nanofibers or nanotubes;
• pressing and shaping said mixture;
• and
• sintering said mixture.

A process for mechanically strengthening a rare earth permanent magnet, comprising:

• processing carbon and boron nitride nanofibers or nanotubes by reacting amorphous carbon and boron powder with ammonia in the presence of iron catalyst particles at a temperature of from about 1100 degrees C. to about 1400 degrees C. for a time period of from about 20 minutes to about 2 hours;
• providing oxides of iron, neodymium and boron;
• defining a mixture by mixing said oxides of iron, neodymium and boron with said nanofibers or nanotubes;
• pressing and shaping said mixture;
• and
• sintering said mixture at a temperature of between about 1,000 degrees and about 3,000 degrees C.

A process for mechanically strengthening a permanent magnet, comprising:

• providing nanofibers or nanotubes;
• providing a ferromagnetic metal;
• defining a mixture by dry mixing said nanofibers or nanotubes in a selected stoichiometry with said ferromagnetic metal;
• and
• sintering said mixture.