DISTRIBUTION OF METALLOID ATOMS IN NANOCRYSTALLINE FE-CU-SI-B ALLOYS

Mossbauer spectroscopy results show that, in 30 nm-grained Fe-Cu-Si-B alloy, boron atoms exhibit two states, 9% of which are as Fe2B and the remainder boron-enriched species in the interfaces. Also, the solubility of Si atoms in body-centred cubic Fe is calculated to be about 13 at.% and the arrangement of Si atoms in the alpha-Fe(Si) phase is of short-range order. With grain growth the Mossbauer parameters of the Fe2B phase change slightly. However, the Mossbauer parameters of the alpha-Fe(Si) phase are strongly affected by grain growth, indicating variation of short-range order of silicon atoms in the body-centred cubic Fe phase with grain growth.