Structural and Magnetic Properties of Magnetostrictive Fe-Ga-Zr Nanocrystalline Alloy

(Fe1-xGax)92Zr8 amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys with x = 0.15 to x = 0.36 were investigated to improve the magnetic softness of Galfenol-type alloys and to evaluate their magnetostrictive properties. The samples were prepared by melt spinning of arc melted ingots. The rapidly solidified ribbons were annealed at 823 K for 1 h to produce a nanocrystalline structure. X-ray Diffraction data showed that after annealing, bodycentered cubic (BCC) Fe-Ga phase crystallized for x = 0.15 to x = 0.26. When x exceeded 0.26, the ribbons crystallized into BCC and a ternary intermetallic phase (i.e., ZrFe6Ga6) which has deteriorating effect on saturation magnetization, magnetic softness and magnetostriction coefficient. The annealed ribbons' saturation magnetization value decreases from 126 Am2/kg to 54 Am2/kg as the Ga content increased from x = 0.15 to x = 0.36. The alloy with x = 0.26 annealed at 823 K for 1 h shows a peak magnetostriction of 10 ppm with saturation magnetization of 110 Am2/kg and coercivity of 260 A/m. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.