Structural, mechanical and magnetic properties of nanostructured FeAl alloys during disordering and thermal recovery

The microstructural, mechanical and magnetic properties of the ball milled and annealed Fe-40Al at% B2 alloys have been studied. The disordering proce ss is characterized by an alloy hardening and a para-ferromagnetic transiti on, which depend mainly on the grain refinement and the creation of antisit e defects. The reordering process shows a continuous softening of the nanoc rystalline alloy and the recovery of the paramagnetic state, which is essen tially governed by the annihilation of antisite defects. The correlation be tween the microstructural, mechanical and magnetic properties make magnetic measurements a suitable, non-destructive, tool to study the microstructura l and mechanical state of FeAl nanocrystalline alloys. (C)1999 Acta Metallu rgica lire.