MECHANICALLY INDUCED STRUCTURAL RELAXATION IN AN AMORPHOUS METALLIC FE80B20 ALLOY

A melt-spun metallic Fe80B20 glass was subjected to high-energy ball m illing. Microstructural changes of the glassy sample during milling we re characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and Curie temperature measurement s. It was found that the metallic glass may relax towards a low energe tic configuration by mechanical milling, leading to a reduction of the heat release associated with crystallization of the amorphous phase a nd an increase of the average hyperfine field as well as of the Curie temperature. These results can be attributed to the occurrence of a st rong short-range order in the amorphous state. Our experimental observ ations suggest that mechanical milling may induce structural relaxatio n in the amorphous Fe80B20 alloy. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physi cs.