Microstructural Changes and Magnetic Properties of Nanostructured Fe-Si-B-Cu Ribbon Cores Containing a Small Amount of Ca and Zr

Abstract

Nanocrystalline Fe-Si-B-Nb-Cu Finemet alloys show low saturation magnetic flux density compared to amorphous Fe-Si-B alloys. In the Fe-Si-B-Cu base amorphous alloys, Cu atoms form clusters which act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for α-Fe crystals. The addition of Ca element atoms, distributed along grain boundaries, helps inhibit grain growth and increase resistivity. These alloys can be crystallized into fine nanograins through proper heat treatment, with increased saturated flux density and decreased core loss. According to previous studies, the addition of Zr element can also reduce nanograin size and suppress grain growth by its distribution mainly along the grain boundaries. In this experiment, the effects of added Ca and Zr on the microstructural changes and magnetic properties of Fe-Si-B-Cu were evaluated in detail. Fe-Si-B-Cu alloys containing Ca, and Zr elements were melt-spun to make rapidly solidified ribbons ~20 μm in thickness. The ribbons were then wound into toroidal shaped ribbon cores and heat treated to obtain the nanocrystalline soft magnetic ribbon cores. The microstructure was observed using TEM, and the magnetic characteristics were evaluated using an B-H meter and impedance analyzer. Based on the results, the FeSi-B-Cu ribbon core containing 0.037 wt.% Ca and 1.68 wt.% Zr was determined to have the lowest core loss among the alloys, when annealed at 440 ^oC for 30 min. It was also confirmed that the added Ca and Zr elements were distributed along the grain boundary, and suppress the growth of crystals. In conclusion, the addition of minor elements Ca and Zr to the nanocrystalline ribbon core was very effective at reducing core loss, and the saturated flux density of the core also increased pronouncedly compared to the Fe-Si-B-Nb-Cu Finemet alloys.