Mössbauer Investigation of Fe–Mn–Cu Nanostructured Alloys Obtained by Ball Milling

Fe₇₉Mn₂₁, (Fe₇₉Mn₂₁)₉₀Cu₁₀, and (Fe₇₉Mn₂₁)₈₀Cu₂₀, alloys, prepared by high energy ball milling were characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and ac-susceptibility. Results indicate that the Cu addition favors the formation of a FCC phase with two different magnetic states at room temperature, i.e., an antiferromagnetic and a paramagnetic one. Thermal evolution of the Mössbauer spectra revealed the occurrence of a magnetic ordering along a wide temperature range. This behavior is probably related to Fe atoms in FCC-Fe(Mn,Cu) phase having different environments and grain size distribution. Thermal dependence of in-phase ac-susceptibility shows that a long range ordering starts at 240 K for the Fe₇₉Mn₂₁ alloy and shifts towards lower temperatures with the Cu content. These results would reflect a long-range magnetic ordering transition with a distribution of ordering temperatures rather than a blocking process of particle single-domains.