Effect of Co addition on crystallization and magnetic properties of FeSiBPCu alloy

The effects of Co addition on the microstructure, crystallization processes and soft magnetic properties of (Fe1−xCox)83Si4B8P4Cu1 (x=0.35, 0.5, 0.65) alloys were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the addition of Co decreased the thermal stability against crystallization of the amorphous phase, and thus improved the heat treatment temperature of this alloy. FeCoSiBPCu nanocrystalline alloys with a dispersed α′-FeCo phase were obtained by appropriately annealing the as-quenched ribbons at 763 K for 10 min. The α′-FeCo with grains size ranging from 9 to 28 nm was identified in primary crystallization. The coercivity (Hc) markedly increased with increasing x and exhibited a minimum value at x=0.35, while the saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) shows a slight decrease. The (Fe0.65Co0.35)83Si4B8P4Cu1 nanocrystalline alloy exhibited a high saturation magnetic flux density Bs of 1.68 T, a low coercivity, Hc of 5.4 A/m and a high effective permeability µe of 29,000 at 1 kHz.