STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES AND TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF COERCIVITY OF DC JOULE-HEATED FE86ZR7B6CU1 RIBBONS

Amorphous Fe86Zr7B6Cu1 ribbons obtained by melt spinning were submitte d to a DC Joule-heating treatment in vacuum. In order to obtain differ ent stages of crystallization the current density was varied. Resistiv ity measurements of the sample were performed before, during and after the treatment. Quasistatic hysteresis measurements of the samples wer e performed to study the coercivity and magnetization. Drastic changes of coercivity as a function of current density were observed and disc ussed. A comparison between the Joule-heated and a conventionally anne aled sample is given. The structural changes were investigated by X-ra y diffractrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The two- phase character of the samples was studied by measuring the temperatur e dependence of the hysteresis loop.