The fine structure of FCC nanocrystals in Al-and Ni-based alloys

The structural perfection of nanocrystals in alloys of different chemical composition is studied by x-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. In all the alloys studied, crystallization of the amorphous phase produces a nanocrystalline structure. The nanocrystal size depends on the chemical composition of the alloy and varies in aluminum-based alloys from 5 nm in Al₈₉Ni₅Y₆ to 12 nm in Al₈₂Ni₁₁Ce₃Si₄. Nanocrystals in nickel-based alloys vary in size from 15 to 25 nm. Al nanocrystals are predominantly defect-free, with microtwins observed only in some nanocrystals. The halfwidth of the diffraction lines is proportional to sec θ, which implies the small grain size provides the major contribution to the broadening. Nanocrystals in nickel alloys contain numerous twins, stacking faults, and dislocations.     

Influence of Cr content on structure and magnetic properties of Fe-Si-Al-Cr powders

As a kind of soft magnetic metallic material, flaky FeSiAl powders have been studied and used widely. Transition metal chromium can improve the magnetic properties of FeSiAl. This article prepared Fe₈₅Si_9.5-xAl_5.5Cr_x (x=0, 2, 4, 6 wt%) alloys powders by adding chromium to replace silicon in alloys. The morphology and microstructure of alloys powders were studied, electromagnetic parameters were measured and microwave absorption properties in the frequency range from 0.5 to 18 GHz were analyzed. With the increase of Cr content, α-Fe (Al, Si) superlattice phases appeared in alloys powders, and then disappeared. Excessive Cr precipitated from the alloys when its content reaches 6 wt%. The minimum reflection loss (-20 dB) among the four powders was 2 wt% Cr content at the frequency of 11.5 GHz. The peaks of reflection loss shifted to the low frequency range with increase in Cr content.     

Devitrification behaviour of Cu-Zr-Ti-Pd bulk glassy alloys

The glass formation, mechanical properties and devitrification of the Cu-Zr-Ti-Pd glassy alloys are studied. The formation of a nanoscale icosahedral phase in Cu-based alloys is observed. The nanoscale particles with icosahedral symmetry are primarily formed in the Cu-Zr-Ti-Pd glassy alloys in the initial stage of the devitrification process. As the icosahedral phase is metastable it transforms to the equilibrium oC68 (Cu, Pd)₁₀(Zr, Ti)₇ single phase or its mixture with the oP44 Cu₈Zr₃ phase, depending upon the alloy composition, through an intermediate crystalline compound. The structure changes on heating were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and isothermal calorimetry.     

On the formation of the nanostructure in Fe80M7B12Cu1 (M: Ti, Ta, Nb, Mo) alloys

The dependence of the formation of the nanocrystalline bcc-Fe phase on the alloy composition is studied for Fe₈₀M₇B₁₂Cu₁ (M: Ti, Ta, Nb, Mo) alloys. The rf-Mössbauer technique is used to determine the optimal soft magnetic properties. This technique allowed us to compare anisotropy fields in each phase present in the composite alloys. The smallest anisotropy field was found in the bcc-Fe nanograins formed in Nb- and Mo-containing alloys.     

Effect of electric current on the magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of amorphous ferromagnetic alloys

The magnetic and magnetoelastic parameters of Fe₆₄Co₂₁B₁₅ and Fe_81.5B_13.5Si₃C₂ amorphous ferromagnetic alloys treated by direct electric current in air are studied as functions of the applied magnetic field and current density. The samples of the alloy have the form of narrow strips with different lengths. It is found that the magnetoelastic parameters of the dc-treated alloys depend on the magnetic field in a qualitatively different way. From the behavior of the magnetic and magnetoelastic parameters of the alloys in the magnetic field a model of magnetization nonuniform distribution in amorphous ferromagnetic alloys subjected to dc treatment is proposed.     

Structure and magnetic properties of iron-and cobalt-based amorphous alloys versus nanocrystallization conditions

The effect of the structural state of Fe₅Co₇₀Si₁₅B₁₀, Fe₆₀Co₂₀Si₅B₁₅, and Co_81.5Mo_9.5Zr₉ amorphous alloys on their magnetic properties is studied under different nanocrystallization conditions. A permanent magnetic field applied during thermomagnetic treatment is found to affect structuring in the amorphous alloys at the initial stage of devitrification. The fine structure of the devitrified amorphous alloys is shown to correlate with the field shifting the hysteresis loop. A mechanism accounting for a hysteresis loop shift in amorphous alloys is discussed.     

Mechanical properties of bcc Fe-Cr alloys by first-principles simulations

The effect of chromium content on the fundamental mechanical properties of Fe-Cr alloys has been studied by first-principles calculations. Within a random solid solution model, the lattice constants and the elastic constants of ferromagnetic bcc Fe_1?x Cr _x (0? · ?0.156) alloys were calculated for different compositions. With addition of Cr content, the lattice parameters of Fe-Cr alloys are larger than that of pure Fe solid, and the corresponding Young??s modulus and shear modulus rise nonmonotonically with the increasing Cr content. All alloys (except 9.4 at% Cr) exhibit less ductile behavior compared with pure bcc Fe. For the Fe_1?x Cr _x (0? · ?0.156) alloys, the average magnetic moment per atom decreases linearly with the increasing Cr concentration.     

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline FeNiCo x ZrB alloys (x=0, 10, 20)

Magnetic properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe₃₁Ni₅₀Zr₇B₁₂, Fe₃₁Ni₄₀Co₁₀Zr₇B₁₂ and Fe₃₁Ni₃₀Co₂₀Zr₇B₁₂ alloys were studied by an unconventional “rf-Mössbauer” technique. Introduction of Co atoms into FeNiZrB alloy leads to a large increase of anisotropy field that suppresses the rf collapse effect. The rf induced crystallization effect observed in Co-containing alloys was attributed to the rf sidebands effect which induced in the alloys mechanical deformations via the magnetostriction. This effect is particularly strong in amorphous alloys and in nanocrystalline alloys containing significant fraction of amorphous matrix and is absent in Co-free alloy.     

Electronic structure of amorphous Zr based alloys with V,Cr and Mn studied by photoelectron spectroscopy and bandstructure calculations

The electronic structure of the amorphous alloys V₃₆Zr₆₄, Cr₃₀Zr₇₀ and Mn₃₀Zr₇₀ has been studied by photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS, XPS) and bandstructure calculations for the ordered analogs. The valence band photoelectron spectra and the calculated density of states reveal a large contribution to the state density at the Fermi level from the 3d metal. This behavior is characteristic of Zr based alloys with early 3d transition metals and differs from alloys with higher 3d electron numbers in which the 3d band is located at higher energies. The implications of the high density of states at E_F of the amorphous Zr-(V, Cr, Mn) alloys for magnetism and the occurrence of superconductivity is discussed.     

Thermodynamic and surface properties of Sb-Sn and In-Sn liquid alloys

The thermodynamic properties of Sb-Sn and In-Sn liquid alloys have been studied using the quasi-chemical model for compound forming binary alloys and that for simple regular alloys. The concentration fluctuation S _cc(0) and the Warren-Cowley short-range order parameter (α ₁) were determined for the whole concentration range at a temperature of 770 K. The surface tensions of these liquid alloys were determined for the whole concentration range by using energetics determined from thermodynamic calculations. In all calculations, In-Sn manifested properties very close to alloys of ideal mixing, while Sb-Sn showed properties that are asymmetric about equiatomic composition. Our results suggest that a weak complex of the form SbSn₂ could be present in the Sb-Sn alloy at a temperature of about 770 K.     

Thermal properties of the alloys Ni,Ru and Cr with Fe

The thermal expansion coefficient α of the Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr and Fe₇₀Ni_30-xRu_x alloys was studied over the temperature range from 4,2 to 300 K. The magnetic contribution to α for all investigated alloys is obtained. The stabilization of the γ-phase in Fe₇₀Ni₃₀ alloys by small additions of ruthenium is shown to lead to the appearance of Invar anomalies of the thermal expansion coefficient. The magnetic contribution to α of Fe-Ni and Fe-Cr alloys is shown to have the same character despite the difference of crystal structure of these alloys.     

Galvanomagnetic properties of Heusler alloys Co<Subscript>2</Subscript>Fe<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> (Z = Al,Si, Ga,Ge, In,Sn, Sb)

The magnetization, Hall effect, and resistivity of Heusler alloys Co₂FeZ (where Z = Al, Si, Ga, Ge, In, Sn, and Sb are s- and p-elements) have been studied at T = 4.2 K in magnetic fields H ≤ 100 kOe. In strong fields (H > 20 kOe), magnetization can be described by the Stoner model. The normal R ₀ and anomalous R _S Hall effect coefficients have been determined. The coefficient RS is positive for almost all the studied alloys and represents a “linearly quadratic” resistivity function incorporating linear and quadratic terms. The constant R ₀ is negative for most alloys, and its absolute value is two or three orders of magnitude smaller than for R _S . The magnetoresistivity of the studied alloys does not exceed several percent and may be both positive and negative for different specimens.     

Effect of hot deformation on texture and magnetic properties of Sm-Co and Pr-Co alloys

Nanocrystalline PrCo₅, SmCo₅ and Sm₂(Co,Fe,Mn)₁₇ alloys were subjected to a high-degree plastic deformation at 950 °C with the height reduction ranging from 70% to 95%. With increasing degree of deformation, the PrCo₅ and SmCo₅ magnets showed improvement of the deformation-induced [0 0 1] texture. The PrCo₅ alloys, known to develop a superior texture at the lower degrees of deformation, showed only modest improvement and their magnetic performance was undermined by a low coercivity. The SmCo₅ alloys had their texture markedly enhanced and, after height reduction by 94.5%, they exhibited a remanence of 8.6 kG, maximum energy product of 18 MGOe and an intrinsic coercivity of 22.8 kOe. No induced texture was found in the alloys based on the Sm₂Co₁₇ structure. The microstructures of the hot-deformed alloys were studied with a transmission electron microscopy, and possible mechanisms of the texture development in the RCo₅ alloys (R=Pr, Sm) are briefly discussed.     

铁基纳米晶合金的热膨胀研究

研究了铁基纳米晶合金Ｆｅ_１３．５Ｃｕ_１Ｎｂ_３Ｓｉ_１３．５Ｂ_９和Ｆｅ_９１Ｚｒ_７Ｂ_２的热膨胀特性，并与相应成分的非晶合金做了比较。结果表明，在居里温度以下，纳米晶合金的热膨胀系数比非晶合金大得多，而在居里温度以上，两者几乎相等。认为上述的热膨胀的差别可能与铁基非晶态合金中存在的因瓦效应有关。 关键词：     

Vibrational properties of crystalline and amorphous Ge1−xSixalloys

A five-atom cluster Bethe lattice method treating the short-range order with proper statistical effects has been proposed for understanding the crystalline and amorphous alloys. Numerical results for Ge_1?xSi_x alloys are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. In the system studied the network is random but the nearest-neighbour coordination should be treated exactly. The long-range coordination is seen to be concentration-dependent in the crystalline alloys but concentration-independent in the amorphous alloys.     

Theoretical calculations on structural and electronic properties of BGaAsBi alloys

The structural and electronic properties of cubic B _x Ga_1?x As_1?y Bi _y alloys with bismuth (Bi) concentration of 0.0625, 0.125, 0.1875 and 0.25 are studied with various boron (B) compositions by means of density functional theory (DFT) within the Wu-Cohen (WC) exchange correlation potential based on generalized gradient approximation (GGA). For all studied alloy structures, we have implemented geometric optimization before the volume optimization calculations. The obtained equilibrium lattice constants and band gap of studied quaternary alloys are investigated for the first time in literature. While the lattice constant behavior changes linearly with boron concentration, increasing small amount of bismuth concentration alter the lattice constant nonlinearly. The present calculation shows that the band gap decreases with increasing bismuth concentration and direct band gap semiconductor alloy became an indirect band gap with increasing boron concentration. From the band offset calculation we have shown that increasing B and Bi concentration in host GaAs reduced the valance band offset in a heterostructure formed by GaAs and studied alloys.     

Tendency of metallic crystals to amorphization in the process of severe (Megaplastic) deformation

The main features of the transition of crystalline Ni₅₀Ti₃₀Hf₂₀, Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅, Zr₅₀Ni₁₈Ti₁₇Cu₁₅, and Fe₇₈B_8.5Si₉P_4.5 alloys with various tendencies to amorphization into an amorphous state upon melt quenching and in the course of severe deformation in Bridgman anvils have been considered. The crystalline state of these alloys has been produced using various methods of annealing. In the iron-based alloy, single-phase and two-phase crystalline states have been studied. The nickel- and titanium-based alloys after annealing were in a single-phase crystalline state; the zirconium-based alloy, in a two-phase state. It is shown that at the same degree of deformation the rates of amorphization of crystalline alloys differ substantially; namely, the single-phase crystalline titanium- and iron-based alloys amorphize easily, whereas the Zr-based alloy amorphizes only poorly, just like the two-phase iron-based alloy. It can be assumed that the tendency to deformation-induced amorphization of crystalline alloys and the corresponding crystalline phases is mainly determined by three factors: mechanical, thermodynamic, and concentration-related.     

Magnetic and electrical transport properties of amorphous Zr-Fe alloys

Amorphous Zr_1?xFe_x samples were prepared in the composition range 0.2 ? x ? 0.9 either by means of vapour deposition or melt spinning. The electrical resistivity was determined in the range 4.2–300 K. Negative temperature coefficients were observed in the whole concentration range. The extended Ziman theory (diffraction model) was found to be able to explain these results only if the effective valence of the Fe atoms involves not only s electrons but also d electrons. The magnetic properties and the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect of the Zr_1?xFe_x alloys were studied in the range 4.2–300 K. The Fe-rich alloys are ferromagnetic. The Fe moment vanishes in alloys of an Fe concentration lower than about 50 at%. In most alloys (x ? 0.8) the Curie temperature is below room temperature and continuously decreases with Zr concentration. By means of Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements it is shown that compositional short-range order (CSRO) is present to a higher degree in melt-spun alloys than in vapour-deposited alloys. The effect of sign and magnitude of the heat of solution on CSRO and the magnetic properties is discussed.     

Processing and properties of some II–IV–V2 amorphous and crystalline semiconductors

Experimental investigations on the preparation, characterization, and properties of several bulk and thin-film ternary alloys based on the chalcopyrite II–IV–V₂ semiconductors are presented. Rapid melt solidification in vacuum-sealed fused-silica tubes resulted in amorphous alloy formation in almost all compositions in the system CdGeAs₂-CdSiAs₂. ZnGeAs₂-CdGeAs₂ alloys showed very limited tendency toward amorphous phase formation. Phase separation, crystallization and electrical properties were studied for amorphous Cd-Ge-Si-As alloys by thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Hall measurements. Rapid crystallization resulted in a reversal of conductivity type (p-to-n or vice versa). Crystallized glassy alloys showed room-temperature mobility of 64 cm²/V s, and a hole concentration of 1020 cm^–3. The p-to-n change in conductivity type upon amorphous-to-crystal transformation suggests that these alloys can be used to fabricate p-n junction devices by surface crystallization of the amorphous phase.     

Effect of the addition of Ge to the FINEMET alloy

The results obtained by partially substituting Ge for B and Si in the FINEMET alloy for the purpose of improving its magnetic properties at high temperatures are presented in this work. Nanocrystalline ribbons were obtained from controlled crystallization of amorphous material made employing the melt spinning technique. The studied compositions were: Fe_73.5Si_13.5Ge₂Nb₃B₇Cu₁ and Fe_73.5Si_13.5Ge₄Nb₃B₅Cu₁. The structural evolution of these alloys was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and these results were correlated with their magnetic properties at different annealing temperatures. The coercivity obtained for both alloys was below 1 A/m at anneling temperatures between 773 and 823 K. The amorphous saturation magnetization was satisfactory, almost 137 emu/g, comparable with that obtained for FINEMET alloys. The nanocrystallization and the Curie temperatures are dependent on Ge concentration.