Effects of phosphorus addition on the magnetic properties of sintered Fe-50 wt.% Ni alloys

Phosphorus was added to Fe-50 wt.% Ni in the form of a coated composite powder via an electroless plating process. Addition of phosphorus to Fe-50 wt.% Ni facilitated increases in density and grain size, both of which were beneficial to magnetic performance. Because of the homogeneous distribution of phosphorus in the powder, the optimal phosphorus addition was much lower than for those using Fe,P as the phosphorus precursor. The optimal phosphorus addition was close to its maximum solubility in Fe-50 wt.% Ni (about 0.5 wt.%), above which precipitation of excessive phosphorus in the form of iron nickel phosphide, (Fe,Ni)(3)P, effectively degraded the magnetic properties of Fe-50 wt.% Ni. Without the addition of phosphorus, good magnetic properties could be achieved only when the sintering temperature was high enough (>1200 degreesC) to result in a high sintered density and large grains in the sintered structure.