Structure and magnetic properties of Fe73.5Ag1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloy

The magnetic properties of as-quenched and annealed Fe73.5Ag1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloys were investigated. X-ray diffraction was used to monitor the structure changes of the samples under different annealing temperatures. It was found that by Cu addition, the crystallization temperature Tx1 of Fe-Nb-Si-B alloy is decreased, whereas by Ag addition, the Tx1 is increased. A small amount of α-Fe and Ag were obtained after the sample was annealed at 500°C for 1 h. With increasing the annealing temperature, Fe23B6, Fe2B, Fe3B were separated out and magnetic properties of the samples were impaired quickly. A mostly single nanocrystalline grain of a-Fe phase could not be obtained in the annealed samples.