Synthesis of FeSiBPNbCu nanocrystalline soft-magnetic alloys with high saturation magnetization

A series of [Fe0.76+x(Si0.4B0.4P0.2)(0.24) (x)](98.25)Nb1Cu0.75 (x = 0-0.08) nanocrystalline soft-magnetic alloys with high saturation magnetization were synthesized by adjusting Fe content and improving the crystallization behavior, soft-magnetic properties and microstructure. It is found that the temperature interval between the two crystallization peaks is significantly enlarged from 50 to 180 degrees C when the Fe content of the alloys increases from x = 0 to x = 0.08, which greatly expands the optimum annealing temperature range. The alloys with higher Fe content are prone to form more uniform nanocomposite microstructure with better thermal stability and soft magnetic properties. The Fe-rich FeSiBPNbCu nanocrystalline alloys with x = 0.08 exhibit excellent soft-magnetic properties, including the high saturation magnetic flux density of up to 1.74 T, low coercivity of about 3.3 A/m and high effective permeability of more than 2.2 x 10(4) at 1 kHz under a field of 1 A/m. The combination of excellent soft-magnetic properties, low cost and good productivity makes the FeSiBPNbCu alloys to be a kind of promising soft-magnetic materials for electrical and electronic industry applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved