Michael E. McHenry

Amorphous and nanocrystalline materials for applications as soft magnets

Abstract This review seeks to summarize the recent developments in the synthesis, structural characterization, properties, and applications in the fields of amorphous, bulk amorphous, and nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials. Conventional physical metallurgical approaches to improving soft ferromagnetic properties have relied on the optimization of chemical and microstructural features. Within the last decade, the development and rapid increase in research of nanocrystalline materials has shown that through proper modifications, revolutionary contributions can be made to better materials’ properties. A wide range of materials’ properties are examined in this review, including: kinetics and thermodynamics, structure, microstructure, and intrinsic and extrinsic magnetic properties.

Nano-scale materials development for future magnetic applications

Developments in the field of magnetic materials which show promise for future applications are reviewed. In particular recent work in nanocrystalline materials is reviewed, with either soft or hard behavior as well as advances in the magnetic materials used for magnetic recording. The role of microstructure on the extrinsic magnetic properties of the materials is stressed and it is emphasized how careful control of the microstructure has played an important role in their improvement. Important microstructural features such as grain size, grain shape and crystallographic texture all are major contributors to the properties of the materials. In addition, the critical role that new instrumentation has played in the better understanding of the nano-phase magnetic materials is demonstrated.

Structure and magnetic properties of (Fe0.5Co0.5)88Zr7B4Cu1 nanocrystalline alloys

The development of Fe73.5Si13.5B9Nb3Cu1 (FINEMET) by Yoshizawa et al. and Fe88Zr7B4Cu1 (NANOPERM) by Inoue et al. have shown that nanocrystalline microstructures can play an important role in the production of materials with outstanding soft magnetic properties. The FINEMET and NANOPERM materials rely on nanocrystalline α-Fe3Si and α-Fe, respectively, for their soft magnetic properties. The magnetic properties of a new class of nanocrystalline magnets are described herein. These alloys with a composition of (Fe,Co)–M–B–Cu (where M=Zr and Hf) are based on the α- and α′-FeCo phases, have been named HITPERM magnets, and offer large magnetic inductions to elevated temperatures. This report focuses on thermomagnetic properties, alternating current (ac) magnetic response, and unambiguous evidence of α′-FeCo as the nanocrystalline ferromagnetic phase, as supported by synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Synchrotron data have distinguished between the HITPERM alloy, with nanocrystallites having a B2 structure from the ...

Synthesis of ferrite and nickel ferrite nanoparticles using radio-frequency thermal plasma torch

Nanocrystalline (NC) ferrite powders have been synthesized using a 50 kW–3 MHz rf thermal plasma torch for high-frequency soft magnet applications. A mixed powder of Ni and Fe (Ni:Fe=1:2), a NiFe permalloy powder with additional Fe powder (Ni:Fe=1:2), and a NiFe permalloy powder (Ni:Fe=1:1) were used as precursors for synthesis. Airflow into the reactor chamber was the source of oxygen for oxide formation. XRD patterns clearly show that the precursor powders were transformed into NC ferrite particles with an average particle size of 20–30 nm. SEM and TEM studies indicated that NC ferrite particles had well-defined polygonal growth forms with some exhibiting (111) faceting and many with truncated octahedral and truncated cubic shapes. The Ni content in the ferrite particles was observed to increase in going from mixed Ni and Fe to mixed permalloy and iron and finally to only permalloy starting precursor. The plasma-torch synthesized ferrite materials using exclusively the NiFe permalloy precursor had 40%–4...

MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF NICKEL ZINC FERRITE NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Nickel zinc ferrite nanoparticles (Ni0.20Zn0.44Fe2.36O4) have been produced at room temperature, without calcination, using a reverse micelle process. Particle size is approximately 7 nm as determined by x-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Saturation magnetization values are lower than anticipated, but are explained by elemental analysis, particle size, and cation occupancy within the spinel lattice. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure analysis suggests that a significant amount of Zn2+, which normally occupies tetrahedral sites, actually resides in octahedral coordination in a zinc-enriched outer layer of the particles. This “excess” of diamagnetic Zn can thus contribute to the overall decrease in magnetism. Further, this model can also be used to suggest a formation mechanism in which Zn2+ is incorporated at a later stage in the particle growth process.

Evaluation of iron-cobalt/ferrite core-shell nanoparticles for cancer thermotherapy

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offer promise for local hyperthermia or thermoablative cancer therapy. Magnetic hyperthermia uses MNPs to heat cancerous regions in an rf field. Metallic MNPs have larger magnetic moments than iron oxides, allowing similar heating at lower concentrations. By tuning the magnetic anisotropy in alloys, the heating rate at a particular particle size can be optimized. Fe–Co core-shell MNPs have protective CoFe2O4 shell which prevents oxidation. The oxide coating also aids in functionalization and improves biocompatibility of the MNPs. We predict the specific loss power (SLP) for FeCo (SLP ∼450W∕g) at biocompatible fields to be significantly larger in comparision to oxide materials. The anisotropy of Fe-Co MNPs may be tuned by composition and/or shape variation to achieve the maximum SLP at a desired particle size.

Structure and magnetic properties of SmCo7−xZrx alloys (x=0–0.8)

The alloys with composition of SmCo7−xZrx(x=0–0.8) were synthesized and characterized in the temperature range of 10–1273 K and at fields up to 5 T. The experimental results show that a small amount of Zr substitution can contribute to a stabilization of the TbCu7 structure, and improve magneto-anisotropy Ha from 90 kOe for x=0–180 kOe for x=0.5 at room temperature, and from 140 kOe for x=0–300 kOe for x=0.5 at 10 K. It is probable that Zr may partly replace a dumbbell of Co atom pair in these alloys. The phase transition between CaCu5, TbCu7, Th2Zn17, and Ce2Ni7 at different heat treatment conditions was also discussed.

The kinetics of nanocrystallization and microstructural observations in FINEMET, NANOPERM and HITPERM nanocomposite magnetic materials

This paper presents experimental observations of the nanocrystallization process in materials having Fe–Si (FINEMET), a-Fe (NANOPERM), and a 0 -FeCo (HITPERM) nanocrystals coupled through an amorphous phase. Crystallization kinetics and chemical partitioning during crystallization are described. Isothermal nanocrystallization is discussed in the framework of the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model and constant heating rate experiments analyzed in the context of the Kissinger model. 2003 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF HITPERM (FE, CO)88ZR7B4CU1 MAGNETS

A new class of nanocrystalline alloys with composition Fe44Co44Zr7B4Cu1 has been developed. This and similar alloys of general composition (Fe, Co)–M–B–Cu (where M=Zr, Hf, Nb, etc.) have been named HITPERM. They offer large magnetic inductions and excellent soft magnetic properties at elevated temperatures. Thermomagnetic properties, permeability, and frequency dependent losses are described in this report. These alloys exhibit high magnetization that persists to the α→γ phase transformation at 980 °C. Alternating current permeability experiments reveal a high permeability at 2 kHz with a loss value of 1 W/g at Bs=10 kG and f=10 kHz.

Electronic structure, exchange interactions, and Curie temperature of FeCo

Fe–Co alloys in the α phase are soft magnetic materials which have high saturation inductions over a wide range of compositions. However, above about 1250 K, an α to γ phase transition occurs. The fcc-based, γ, high-temperature phase is paramagnetic at this temperature. In this work the low-temperature ordered B2, or α′, phase, as well as the disordered bcc phase of FeCo alloys, have been studied with first-principles electronic-structure calculations using the layer Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker method. The variation of moment with composition (Slater–Pauling curve) is discussed. For equiatomic FeCo, interatomic exchange couplings are derived from first principles. These exchange interactions are compared to those obtained for pure Fe and Co, and are used within a mean-field theory to estimate the hypothetical Curie temperature of the α phase.