Investigation into the Effect of Thermal Treatment on the Obtaining of Magnetic Phases: Fe₅Y, Fe₂₃B₆, Y₂Fe₁₄B and αFe within the Amorphous Matrix of Rapidly-Quenched Fe_61+xCo_10−xW₁Y₈B₂₀ Alloys (Where <i>x</i> = 0, 1 or 2)

• Main Authors: Petrica Vizureanu, Marcin Nabiałek, Andrei Victor Sandu, Bartłomiej Jeż
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: injection casting method; bulk amorphous alloys; nanocrystalline materials; isothermal annealing; soft magnetic materials
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/4/835

The paper presents the results of research on the structure and magnetic properties of Fe_61+<i>x</i>Co_{10&#8722;<i>x</i>}W₁Y₈B₂₀ alloys (where <i>x</i> = 0, 1 or 2). The alloys were produced using two production methods with similar cooling rates: Injection casting and suction casting. The alloy samples produced were subjected to isothermal annealing at 940 K for 10 min. The structure of the materials was examined using X-ray diffraction. Isothermal annealing has led to the formation of various crystallization products depending on the chemical composition of the alloy and the structure of the alloy in a solidified state. In two cases, the product of crystallization was the hard magnetic phase Y₂Fe₁₄B. However, the mechanism of this phase formation was different in both cases. The magnetic properties of alloys were tested using a vibrating sample magnetometer and a Faraday magnetic balance. It is found that the grain crystallite size of the crystalline phases have a decisive influence on the value of the coercive field (especially in the case of hard magnetic phases). It has been shown that privileged areas can already be created during the production process. Their presence determines the crystallization process.