Research on the Influence of Small Changes in the Chemical Composition on Changes in the Environment of Fe Atoms in Rapid-Quenched Alloys

Rapid-quenched Fe-based alloys may show hard or soft magnetic properties depending on the chemical composition and structure of the alloy. One of the most sensitive methods of studying the structure and, indirectly, magnetic properties is Mössbauer spectroscopy. Using this method, it is possible to determine the surroundings of Fe atoms and to identify crystalline phases in the volume of the alloy. The distributions of hyperfine field induction supplemented with measurements of saturation magnetization as a function of the external magnetic field allow us to explain significant differences in magnetic properties also within the amorphous structure. The paper presents the results of research on the structure and magnetic properties of rapid-quenched FeNbYHfB alloys. It was found that slight changes in the chemical composition affect the surroundings of Fe atoms and the density of the alloy, which correlates with the change in the value of the coercive field and saturation magnetization of rapid-quenched alloys.