The influence of nitrogen on the structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystallized Finemet-type ribbons

Nitriding thermochemical treatment under suitable parameters, used to nanoc rystallize Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B ribbons, leads to finer grain size and modifies th e structural parameters of the alpha-Fe(Si) phase: low Si content, probably due to the formation of Si-N precipitates on a very fine scale. Furthermor e, both the specific magnetization ol the alloy and the Curie temperature o f the crystalline phase increase upon nitrogenation and the magnetostrictio n decreases in relation with the higher crystalline volume fraction. It is shown that nitrogenation offers a new method to obtain nanostructured mater ials. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.