Effects of silicon concentration on the magnetic and structural properties of nanostructured Fe-Si alloy synthesized by ball mill process

Abstract

This study aims to elaborate on the production of a nanostructured Fe-Si alloy with varying silicon concentrations and how it can enhance the magnetic properties of the alloy. In order to achieve this, the mechanical alloying technique was employed to create the nanostructured alloy. After the mechanical ball milling process, the morphological, structural, and magnetic properties of the alloy were thoroughly analyzed using advanced techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results from these techniques revealed significant changes in the properties of the alloy. One of the major findings of this study was the appearance of Fe3Si phase, commonly known as Suessite, after the mechanical milling process. This indicates that the milling process caused a transformation in the crystal structure of the alloy. Additionally, an increase in silicon concentration led to a reduction in crystallite sizes, which was observed through the XRD analysis. Furthermore, the lattice strain and lattice parameters of the alloy were observed to increase with increasing silicon concentration until it reached 3%. After this point, the value of the lattice parameter remained constant, indicating that further increases in silicon concentration did not significantly impact the lattice structure of the alloy. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of a distinct band at 1070 cm−1, indicating the occurrence of stretching vibrations associated with Fe-Si bonds. The milled samples exhibit improved magnetic properties, with increased saturation magnetization values observed as the silicon concentration increased.