Lubrication for hot working rare earth-transition metal alloys

In a method of hot working particles comprised of rare earth and transition metals to form densified, compacts with permanently magnetic properties, the improvement comprising lubricating the working surfaces of the densifying tools with a dry lubricant comprising glass having a melting temperature lower than the hot working temperature or a dry mixture of 10 to 80 volume percent of said glass and from about 90 to 20 volume percent graphite powder.

In a method of hot working rapidly solidified rare earth-iron-boron based alloy particles to form densified compacts with permanently magnetic properties, the improvement comprising lubricating the working surfaces of the densifying tools with a dry lubricant comprising glass having a melting temperature lower than the hot working temperature or a mixture of 10 to 80 volume percent of a said glass and from about 90 to 20 volume percent graphite powder.

In a method of hot working rare earth-transition metal based particles to form densified, compacts with permanently magnetic properties, the improvement comprising lubricating the working surfaces of the densifying tools with a dry lubricant powder comprising a mixture of from about 10 to 80 volume percent of a glass having a melting temperature lower than the hot working temperature and from about 90 to 20 volume percent graphite powder.