Magnetic study and thermal analysis of a metastable Fe-Zr-based alloy:: Influence of process control agents

In this work a Fe(60)Co(10)(Ni(70)Zr(30))(15)B(15) nanocrystalline alloy was produced by mechanical alloying. Powders were milled using hexane or cyclohexane as process control agents (PCAs) and their properties compared with those of alloy developed without PCA. Structural and magnetic analysis was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission (57)Fe Mossbauer spectrometry (TMS) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). High magnetization of saturation and low coercitive field values correspond to an alloy milled with hexane. Thermal analysis was performed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). High thermal stability characterizes alloys milled with PCA. Annealing treatments at 400 degrees C improve magnetic behavior of all samples. Compositional analysis shows low-milling media (< 1.1 at.%) and C contamination (< 0.2 at.%). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.