SHORT-RANGE ORDERING IN RAPIDLY QUENCHED FE83P17 AMORPHOUS-ALLOYS

Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study the effect of the preparation paramete rs on the short range ordering of Fe83P17 amorphous alloys. The sample s were quenched with different quenching rates from the melt which was kept either at 1100 degrees C or 1250 degrees C for 20 min. The short range order of the amorphous samples was found to depend on the quenc hing rate due to the relaxation taking place during rapid quenching of the melt. In one case, in the sample quenched with the lowest quenchi ng rate from the melt of 1250 degrees C, crystalline phases identified as Fe3P and alpha-Fe were also found. This phase separation can be un derstood by taking into consideration the effect of both the melt temp erature and the quenching rate. In this case, the cooling time can be long enough for separation of the phases which can be expected within the range of 1040-1250 degrees C according to the phase diagram.