Structure and thermal behavior of multicomponent Fe68-xNixZr15Nb5B12 (x=5, 10, 15, 20) alloys

Multicomponent Fe68-xNixZr15Nb5B12 (x = 5, 10, 15, 20) alloy powders milled for 60 h were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA). The structure and crystallization behavior were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Ni enhances the amorphisation of alloy powders. Particle size increases with increasing Ni content. Both onset crystallization temperature T-x and the first crystallization peak temperature T-p of the four alloys shift to a higher temperature with increasing heating rate while melting temperature (T-m) is just the opposite. Fe68-xNixZr15Nb5B12 (x = 5, 10, 15, 20) alloys all have a large supercooled liquid region Delta T-x. The supercooled liquid region Delta T-x increases and the crystallization activation energy E decreases with increasing Ni content. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.