Abstract
For the fabrication of a multi-pole anisotropic Sr-ferrite magnet by powder injection molding, it is important to control effectively the alignment of magnetic powders during the injection molding process. The effect of the fluidity of powder/binder mixture on the powder alignment was studied with changing the particle sizes and the volume fraction of Sr-ferrite magnetic powders. The critical volume fraction of Sr-ferrite powders increases from 58 vol.% to 64 vol.% as the mean powder size increases from $0.8\;\mu\textrm{m}$ to $1.2\;\mu\textrm{m}$. A Sr-ferrite powder alignment greater than 80 % is achieved at the conditions of an apparent viscosity lower than 1000 poise at $1600\;sec^{-1}$ shear rate, an applied magnetic field higher than 4 kOe, and a powder volume fraction 8 vol.% lower than the critical fraction. The powder alignment obtained during the injection molding process is not much affected by the subsequent processes of debinding and sintering, showing the magnetic properties of 3.8 kG of remanent flux density and 3.37 kOe of intrinsic coercivity.