EFFECT OF COPPER ADDITIVES ON IRREVERSIBLE MELTING IN [{(Fe0.5Co0.5)0.75B0.2Si0.05}96Nb4]100-xCux, x ≤ 3, ALLOYS

Abstract

Iron and cobalt based ferromagnetic bulk amorphous alloys have received considerable interest nowadays in view of their useful properties for wide spread applications in magnet technology, shape memory alloys, high frequency communications at low power loss, and other devices. In this purview, here we report synthesis and thermal properties of bulk amorphous alloys [{( Fe 0.5 Co 0.5)0.75 B 0.2 Si 0.05}96 Nb 4]100-x Cu x (x = 0, 1, 2, and 3). A copper mould casting of molten alloy was used to obtain a vitrified alloy in form of thin rods (1–2 mm diameter). Amorphous structure retains at a cooling rate as low as 100 K/s in argon atmosphere. Heat out-put measured in terms of a differential scanning calorimetric signal during heating and cooling cycles of these alloys demonstrate irreversibility in a compositional dependent melting point, which follows the glass transition temperature and successive crystallization. The irreversibility persists in this specific example of the bulk amorphous alloys even on sufficiently slow heating or cooling rates such as 0.33 K/s in argon. The copper inclusion tailors the melting point, the enthalpy of the fusion, and other thermodynamic parameters. Results are analyzed in corroboration to the magnetic properties.