Structure–property relationships in a boron-doped Fe-based alloy: phase evolution, thermal behavior and soft magnetic performance
Materials Science and Engineering: B, cilt.333, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 333
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119791
- Dergi Adı: Materials Science and Engineering: B
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Boron doping, Fe-based amorphous alloys, Magnetic properties, Mechanical alloying, Nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigates the structure–property relationships in a boron-doped Fe₄₈Ni₂₄Cr₂Mo₁Si₇B₁₈ (at. %) amorphous/nanocrystalline alloy produced by mechanical alloying, with particular emphasis on phase evolution, thermal stability, surface oxidation behavior, and soft magnetic performance. High-energy ball milling was performed for durations between 5 and 100 h in order to evaluate the influence of milling time on amorphization and microstructural evolution. X-ray diffraction analyses combined with multi-peak deconvolution revealed that the optimum milling duration was 20 h, corresponding to an amorphous phase fraction of approximately 60%. HRTEM and SAED analyses confirmed the coexistence of nanocrystalline domains embedded within an amorphous matrix. DSC measurements revealed a primary crystallization event between 400 and 500 °C and a dominant melting peak near 1020 °C, indicating eutectic-like thermal behavior associated with the mechanically induced supersaturated structure. TG analysis showed a substantial mass loss above ∼1000 °C, attributed primarily to B₂O₃ volatilization. XPS analyses demonstrated the formation of a metallic core surrounded by oxide-rich surface layers consisting mainly of B-O, Fe-O, Ni-O and Mo-O species. The oxide-rich shell is expected to enhance electrical insulation between particles and may contribute to reduced eddy-current losses during magnetic excitation. Magnetic measurements exhibited typical soft magnetic behavior with saturation magnetization values of ∼116 emu/g. Following stress-relief annealing, coercivity decreased significantly from 25.02 Oe to 3.71 Oe while preserving saturation magnetization, indicating effective relaxation of milling-induced internal stresses. The results demonstrate that boron-assisted mechanical alloying provides an effective route for tailoring the amorphous structure, surface chemistry, and magnetic response of Fe-based soft magnetic alloys.