The effect of annealing atmosphere on the structural properties of FeSiBPCu alloys with different silicon content

NANOMET-type soft magnetic alloys of Fe 82 Si 4 B 10 P 3 Cu 1 and Fe 78 Si 8 B 10 P 3 Cu 1 were studied. Nanocrystalline alloys were prepared by annealing the amorphous precursors at a temperature of 420 °C for 20 and 60 min in vacuum and in Ar atmosphere. The effect of the annealing atmosphere and time of annealing on the alloy structural and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), magnetic measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XRD unveiled partial crystallization of the Fe 82 Si 4 B 10 P 3 Cu 1 alloy and confirmed amorphous structure of the Fe 78 Si 8 B 10 P 3 Cu 1 alloy. The technique also indicated larger grain size after annealing in vacuum as compared to that in argon. MS disclosed the effect of the silicon content on the annealed alloys microstructure, namely the lower relative volumetric fraction of the A8 crystalline phase component for the alloy with 8 at. % Si as compared to the alloy with 4 at. % Si. Variations of the parameters reflecting the magnetic microstructure were also observed and are discussed with relation to different annealing times and atmospheres. Magnetic measurements showed better soft magnetic properties for sample with 8 at. % Si whose coercivity was lower as well as the determined magnetization work. They also indicated lower coercivity for argon annealed samples and showed that longer annealing times are reflected in the increased resultant coercivity. For both studied compositions, the AFM measurements inspecting the morphology of the sample surfaces manifested the presence of lower protrusions on the surfaces of the vacuum annealed samples as compared to the argon annealed ones, where also larger agglomerates were disclosed.