简介 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED : To provide a method of recycling the powder scrap of rare-earth magnets to raw-material powder for rare-earth magnets.
SOLUTION : The method of manufacturing the rare-earth magnet powder includes an oxidation/decarbonization step in which decarbonized powder is obtained by heat-treating the powder scrap of rare-earth magnets at a temperature of 700-1, 200°C for 1-10 hours in an atmosphere containing oxygen, and if necessary, carrying out reduction by hydrogen to carry out oxidation/decarbonization treatment; a deacidification step in which deacidification treatment is carried out by adding and mixing a reducing agent composed of an alkaline earth metal and rare-earth oxide powder to the decarbonized powder, further adding, if necessary, metal powder that constitutes alloy components of the rare-earth magnets, and heating the resultant mixture; a rinsing step in which the decarbonized deacidified mixture obtained in the deacidification step is rinsed with deionized water repeatedly for a plurality of times; a vacuum-treatment step in which the reducing agent is removed by heat-treating the decarbonized deacidified mixture obtained in the rinsing step at a temperature of 900°C or higher in a vacuum of 10 Pa or lower for 0.5 hour or longer; and a grinding step in which the rare-earth magnet alloy obtained in the vacuum-treatment step is ground to a prescribed grain size. |