Non-isothermal kinetic parameters and models of crystallization for amorphous Fe–Co–Nb–Cu–B alloys

The non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements are often used to study kinetics of amorphous alloys. However non-isothermal kinetic parameters and models of amorphous alloy crystallization process were unclear. In our research, amorphous (FexCo1−x)NbCuB (x=0.33, 0.5 and 0.75) alloys were produced in the form of ribbon by a single roller melt-spinning method. DSC curves at heating rate 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 K/min were obtained. Kissinger, Ozawa and model-free methods obtain identical activation energies at each exothermic peak of all compositions. We conclude that first exothermic reaction is determined by the migration activation energy of Fe or Co atom; second reaction determined by the energy between parent and product boride phases; and the third reaction determined by the energy between parent α-  FeCo phase and product bcc-Fe/fcc-Co phases. We hypothesized a non-isothermal kinetic modelf(α)=mαn(1−α)f(α)=αm(1−α)n, which fit our experiment results well. In this model, m depends on nucleus shape and growth dimension, and n are determined by lattice positions participated in new phase formation.