An investigation into the effect of isothermal annealing on the structure (XRD), microstructure (SEM, TEM) and magnetic properties of amorphous ribbons and bulk amorphous plates

Abstract

Abstract Test samples of the alloy Fe61Co10Y8W1B20 were fabricated in the form of both amorphous ribbons and bulk amor-phous plates. The structure, microstructure and magnetic properties of samples in the as-quenched state and after annealing were investigated. The aim of the paper is to show the effect of the thermal treatment on the structural changes occurring in the amorphous state. The thermal treatment, performed at well below the crystallisation temperature, did not cause crystallisation. In the investigated amorphous alloys it has been found that, after a specific thermal treatment, structural relaxation occurs in the presence of structural defects, such as quasidislocational dipoles. Also, supporting the microscopy investigations with measurements of the magnetic properties can be extremely beneficial for facilitating description of the real structure and properties of the amorphous alloys; further, this testing combination offers the possibility for designing the optimal application parameters for an alloy.