Influence of the Preparation Method on Amorphous-Crystalline Transition in Fe84B16 Alloy

Abstract

The amorphous-crystalline transition in Fe₈₄B₁₆ alloys prepared by melt spinning and high-energy ball milling was studied. Time-resolved X-ray diffraction showed that the kinetics of transition into a crystalline state depends on the method of preparing a metastable alloy. In amorphous Fe₈₄B₁₆ alloy prepared by melt spinning, crystallization proceeded within a time period of below 1 s and was accompanied by the formation of eutectic α-Fe–Fe₃B. At temperatures above 600°C, metastable phase Fe₃B was found to transform into Fe₂B and α-Fe. In the high-energy ball milling produced alloy, structural changes were accomplished in 4–8 s and the transition into a state with a perfect crystalline structure was caused by the growth of nanocrystallites formed during processing.