Thermal evolution of ferromagnetic metallic glasses

A traditional TG apparatus was modified by placing two permanent magnets producing a controlled magnetic field (TG(M): Magneto Thermogravimetry). This technique proved to be useful to study both structural relaxation and crystallisation of ferromagnetic metallic glasses. Results obtained for the amorphous alloys Fe₄₀Ni₄₀P₁₄B₆ and Fe_62.5Co₆Ni_7.5Zr₆Nb₂Cu₁B₁₅, are reported in this paper. Structural relaxation can be evaluated by measuring changes in Curie temperature induced by thermal treatments. Crystallisation in TG(M) is detected through a change in the measured apparent mass (difference between the sample mass and magnetic force driving it upward). These results were confirmed by DSC analysis. Whether the obtained crystalline phase is ferromagnetic, it can be identified through its Curie temperature, measured by TG(M). In fact the value of 770°C measured as Curie temperature of crystallised Fe_62.5Co₆Ni_7.5Zr₆Nb₂Cu₁B₁₅led to conclude that the only ferromagnetic crystalline phase is a-Fe. These hypothesis was confirmed by XRD analysis, showing that the first crystallisation yields to a-Fe nanocrystals. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.