Terfenol-D, Tb1-xDyxFe2 (x congruent to 0.7), is successfully used as a mag
netostrictive transducer material for low-frequency applications. To extend
the frequency range of magnetostrictive transducers into the high kHz and
MHz range, new materials processing techniques must be developed to minimiz
e eddy current losses. The method that has demonstrated the greatest potent
ial to date is based on rapid solidification by melt spinning to obtain thi
n strips of material. The objective of this program includes refining the c
asting procedure to yield ribbons with the [111] direction oriented along t
he length of the ribbon, with the (110) plane in the plane of the ribbon. T
he crystallographic orientation of the Terfenol-D ribbons have been control
led by varying the cooling rate of the melt-spinning process. The cooling r
ates were controlled by a number of parameters in the melt-spinning process
and ribbons have been obtained with an enhancement of the (110) plane para
llel to the surface of the ribbon. Magnetostrictive measurements under tens
ile stresses up to 3 MPa and magnetic fields up to 4 kOe yielded magnetostr
ictive displacements of 850 x 10(-6). (C) 1998 American Institute of Physic
s. [S0021-8979(98)25711-2].