| Abstract Scope |
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables fabrication of near-net-shape permanent magnets with complex geometries and reduced material loss. However, the rapid solidification inherent to AM processes such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) requires the development of alloy compositions compatible with layer-wise laser processing. In this work, melt spinning was used as a high-throughput proxy process to develop LPBF-compatible alloys. A stainless-steel wheel was employed to better approximate LPBF-like cooling conditions, and a 2D transient heat-flow model was used to compare cooling rates with conventional copper-wheel melt spinning. Experimental validation using a ternary Nd-Fe-B alloy showed comparable microstructures and coercivities under selected copper and stainless-steel conditions, supporting the modified melt-spinning approach. Alloying additions (Ti, C, Cu, Al, Zr, and Nb) were introduced to improve glass-forming ability, refine microstructure, and enhance hard magnetic behavior. The optimized alloy was further processed using LPBF and characterized for solidification behavior, phase evolution, microstructure, and magnetic properties. |