Transformation Pathways of Ferromagnetic Mn-Al-Ga-Ni

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of alloying Mn-Al-Ga with 3 at.-% Ni and the stability and formation mechanisms of the τ phase and the resulting magnetic properties. The stabilizing effect of Ga on the τ phase was verified, and the ternary alloy’s magnetization was measured up to M2T=482kA/m−1. The phase transformation from γ2 to τ in ternary Mn-Al-Ga was demonstrated microscopically. The solubility limit of Ni into the τ phase was exceeded at 3 at.-% and a primitive cubic κ phase formed. The Ni addition stabilized the τ phase. The highest magnetization at 2 T for the Mn52Al39.4Ga5.6Ni3 alloy was M2T=416kA/m−1 . A new transformation pathway was demonstrated by first annealing the Mn-Al-Ga-Ni alloy at 800 °C for 24 h, which forms a nearly single κ phase, which is followed by a second anneal at 500 °C for 24 h at which the phase τ formed with some remaining κ phase. This is a new transformation mechanism since it involves a phase reaction from κ to τ. The energy product of the Mn-Al-Ga-Ni alloy exceeded that of the ternary Mn-Al-Ga alloy by a factor of 4.5. The κ-phase particles in the Mn-Al-Ga-Ni alloy hinder magnetic domain boundary motion, thus providing a method for magnetic hardening and increasing the energy product.