MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF MECHANICALLY ALLOYED NANOCRYSTALLINE FEE CU50FE50 DURING THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION

The evolution of magnetization and of the diffraction patterns during decomposition of CuFe nanocrystalline solid solution indicates that mo re than 50% of the emerging Fe-rich zones remain fcc after the exothem ic heat release corresponding to chemical phase separation. The therma l decomposition of metastable fee FeCu thus generates Fe-rich fcc zone s that have not been obtained by mechanical alloying or vapor-depositi on techniques and provides interesting information on the magnetic pro perties of dilute gamma-Fe(Cu) which is found to be ferromagnetic, as compared to pure gamma-Fe which is antiferromagnetic.