Precipitation of α-Fe from Fe84−xSi4B12+x (x = 1, 3) Amorphous Alloys Under High Magnetic Field Annealing

Abstract

This work aims to investigate the effects of high magnetic field annealing (HMFA) on the precipitation of α-Fe from Fe84−xSi4B12+x (x = 1, 3) amorphous precursors. Isothermal annealing process for Fe81Si4B15 and Fe83Si4B13 amorphous ribbons has been performed with and without the magnetic field. The magnetic field shows the effects of increasing the nucleation rate and decreasing the grain size of α-Fe crystals simultaneously, during the crystallization processes of the investigated amorphous alloys. By applying HMF, α-Fe crystals with more homogeneous distribution and smaller grain size are achieved in the amorphous matrix, which is crucial helpful to improve the magnetic properties for Fe–Si–B amorphous alloys. The mechanism of HMFA affecting the crystallization microstructure is also discussed in the present work.