Effect of Temperature of Long Annealing on the Structure and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline FeSiNbCuB Alloy

The dependence of soft magnetic properties of the Fe73.5Si13.5Nb3Cu1B9 alloy on the 2-hour air annealing temperature T-an at temperatures from 520 to 620 degrees C is studied. It is shown that the magnetic hysteresis loop is significantly broadens and becomes more inclined, and the Curie temperature of the amorphous matrix surrounding alpha-FeSi nanocrystals decreases with increasing T-an. The atomic structure and phase composition of alloy samples are studied by transmission X-ray diffraction. After annealing at temperatures to 580 degrees C, nanocrystals contain mostly D0(3) phase (Fe3Si stoichiometry) and are similar to 7 nm in average size. Their relative fraction in the alloy increases with temperature due to additional iron diffusion from the matrix to nanocrystals. After annealings at T-an > 600 degrees C, the average nanocrystal size increases, and iron boride crystal reflections appear in X-ray diffraction patterns. Degradation of soft magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe73.5Si13.5Nb3Cu1B9 alloy with annealing temperature from 520 to 580 degrees C is explained by a decrease in the silicon concentration in FeSi nanocrystals, which results in an increase in the magnetocrystalline anisotropy.