Structure and magnetic properties of melt-spun Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 compound

• Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 cubic Laves compound was fabricated by melt-spinning.
• Non-cubic phase can be effectively eliminated at a high wheel speed.
• Low-temperature annealing is beneficial for the formation of single phase.
• The structure and magnetic properties of Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 were reported.
• Providing an alternate way to synthesize high-Nd content cubic Laves compounds.

High-Nd content Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 cubic Laves compound which could not be prepared by annealing its as-cast ingot was successfully fabricated by melt-spinning and subsequent low-temperature annealing. The effects of wheel speed and annealing temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 ribbons are investigated. The ribbons with single cubic Laves phase were obtained at a wheel speed of 40 m/s and subsequent annealing temperature of 773 K. The average grain size decreases with the increase of the wheel speed from 10 m/s to 40 m/s. The easy magnetic direction of Tb0.2Nd0.8(Fe0.8Co0.2)1.9 Laves phase lies along [111] at room temperature, which was confirmed by Mössbaure spectra. Meanwhile, the resin-bonded ribbons obtained at a wheel speed of 40 m/s have a magnetostriction of 321 ppm at room temperature. This work demonstrates an alternate way to synthesize the metastable high-Nd content cubic Laves phase magnetostrictive compounds under ambient pressure other than high-pressure annealing.