Optimization of the Heat Treatment of a Hard Magnetic Fe–30Cr–18Co Powder Alloy

The heat treatment (HT) of a hard magnetic Fe–30Cr–18Co powder alloy is optimised using the Statgraphics XVI Centurion and Statistica software, and the following magnetic hysteretic properties are reached: after HT for the maximum coercive force H cB , the remanence is B r = 1.214 T, the coercive force is H cB = 55.62 kA/m, and the maximum energy product is ( BH ) max = 36.1 kJ/m 3 ; after HT for the maximum remanence B r , we have H cB = 48.8 kA/m, B r = 1.240 T, and ( BH ) max = 39.8 kJ/m 3 . These magnetic hysteretic properties of the hard magnetic Fe–30Cr–18Co powder alloy free of nickel exceed those of industrial alloys, such as YuNDK24 and YuNDK18 (GOST 17809–72).