The impact of the powder fraction on the structural and magnetic properties of polymer matrix composites

Purpose: The preparation of composite materials composed of Fe66Co10Ni2W2B20 alloy powders and epoxy resin and determining the influence of the alloy powders fraction Fe66Co10Ni2W2B20 on mechanical and magnetic properties of produced materials. Design/methodology/approach: Tested samples made of Fe66Co10Ni2W2B20 alloy powders and epoxy resin, were produced by pressing with pressure 5MPa during 10 s. In order to examine produced materials structural studies were conducted (observation under an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope with EDS analysis), mechanical (measurement of surface roughness) and magnetic (obtaining static magnetic hysteresis loop based on measurements were made using a vibrating magnetometer (VSM)). Results: Pressing ofFe66Co10Ni2W2B20 alloy powders and epoxy resin allows to obtain composite materials, which are divided into three fractions, namely: 20-50 μm 50-100 μm 100-200 μm characterized, with the increasing size of the fraction of reinforcement, the better development of the area. Magnetic studies show that with increasing size of the fraction of the reinforcement, those materials have smaller coercive field, as well as the observed decrease in saturation magnetization. Originality/value: By combining Fe66Co10Ni2W2B20 alloy powders and epoxy resin composite materials with different fractions of reinforcement, which exhibit better properties than the starting materials used to receive are possible to obtain.