Effect of Trivalent Additions and Processing on Structural and Magnetic Transitions in Ni-Mn-Ga Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys

Ferromagnetic shape memory Ni50Mn30Ga15Al5-xBx (x = 0, 1, and 4) alloys were prepared by vacuum arc melting and subsequent heat-treatment as well as by melt spinning to investigate the effect of trivalent element additions in ternary Ni-Mn-Ga alloys. The heat-treated alloys containing Al were reported to possess a modulated martensite structure, however alloy containing both Al and B showed a loss of modulated structure in martensite formed. The rapidly solidified alloys on the other hand showed the formation of a similar modulated structure without composition change in alloys containing Al and the alloys containing Al and B. In addition, the former showed a presence of an amorphous phase with latter showing crystalline boron rich phases. The magnetisation of the B containing alloys in both the processing technique was however very low, showing lower magnetic exchange interaction in such alloys.