The role of Cu content on structure and magnetic properties of Fe–Si–B–P–Cu nanocrystalline alloys

• Published in: Journal of materials science 2019-03, Vol.54 (5), p.4400-4408
• Main Authors: Jia, Xingjie, Li, Yanhui, Wu, Licheng, Zhang, Yan, Xie, Lei, Zhang, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloys; Amorphous alloys; Annealing; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Coercivity; Copper; Crystallization; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Degassing of metals; Grain refinement; Iron; Magnetic permeability; Magnetic properties; Materials Science; Metallic glasses; Metals; Nanoalloys; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Permeability; Polymer Sciences; Softness; Solid Mechanics; Specialty metals industry
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-018-3131-5

The increase in Cu content from 1.0 to 1.7 at.% changes the as-spun Fe 86-x Si 2 B 8 P 4 Cu x and Fe 84-y Mn 2 Si 2 B 8 P 4 Cu y alloys from a single amorphous phase to a composite of α-Fe nanoparticles dispersing in amorphous matrix and significantly refines the nanostructure and improves the magnetic softness of the annealed alloys. The as-spun Fe 82.3 Mn 2 Si 2 B 8 P 4 Cu 1.7 amorphous alloy containing high number density α-Fe nanoparticles forms uniform nanostructure with fine α-Fe grains in an average size of 17 nm after annealing and exhibits low coercivity of 8.4 A m −1 and high effective permeability of 15000 at 1 kHz, which are superior to those of 38 nm, 85.4 A m −1 and 1400, respectively, for the Fe 83 Mn 2 Si 2 B 8 P 4 Cu 1 amorphous alloy. The mechanism relating to the effect of Cu content on the grain refinement was discussed in terms of the as-spun structure and crystallization process of the alloys.