Physical properties of some iron based alloys in liquid and amorphous states

Abstract

The atomic structure and the physical properties of amorphous ribbons depend strongly on the state of the melt before quench. It is known that slightly above liquidus metallic melts can preserve a non-equilibrium metastable state for a long time. Moreover some structural transformations in liquid metallic alloys, similar to phase transitions in solids, may take place with an increase of the temperature. In this paper we report measurements of the viscosity, magnetic susceptibility and surface tension in some Fe-based melts. Amorphous ribbons of the same alloys were prepared by standard planar method from different states of the melt. The electrical resistivity, the kinetics of crystallization and the magnetic properties of the ribbons were investigated. It was found that the properties depending upon nanoscale inhomogeneities are different for ribbons produced after different heat treatments of the melt before quench. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.