Structure, Properties, and Glass Forming Ability of Melt-Spun Fe-Zr-B-Cu Alloys with Different Zr/B Ratios

Melt-spun ribbons of Fe99–x–yZrxByCu1 alloys with x + y = 11 and x + y = 13 were prepared under similar experimental conditions and characterized for structure and soft magnetic properties. Substitution of Zr by B changes the structure of as-spun ribbons from completely amorphous to cellular bcc solid solution coexisting with the amorphous phase at intercellular regions and then to completely dendritic solid solution. The glass forming ability (GFA) of the Fe-Zr-B-Cu system, evaluated from thermodynamic properties such as enthalpy of mixing and mismatch entropy, is found to be in good agreement with the experimental observations. Annealing of all ribbons leads to the precipitation of nanocrystalline bcc α-Fe phase from both amorphous phase and already existing bcc solid solution. A window of alloy compositions that exhibit the best combination of soft magnetic properties (high saturation magnetization and low coercivity) was identified.