Amorphous alloys as soft magnetic materials

Abstract

The preparation, structure, and mechanical properties of amorphous metallic alloys are briefly reviewed, and the magnetic properties, especially the low‐field properties of engineering interest, are described. The materials reported are ribbons about 1.5 mm by 35 μm in cross‐section, made under the trade name Metglas alloys by Allied Chemical Corp. These alloys have low coercive fields and very square hysteresis loops; the effective magnetization in low fields is greatly increased by the application of a tensile stress. When held under stress, amorphous ribbons have magnetic properties comparable to the best available crystalline materials. Some of the improvement due to stress can be made permanent by annealing under stress. Possible applications of these alloys are discussed.