THERMOELECTROMOTIVE FORCE OF AMORPHOUS MAGNETIC FE-CU-NB-SI-B, FE-HF-B AND FE-ZR-B RIBBONS DURING THE CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESS

We present a study of the evolution of the crystallization process fro m the amorphous through the nanocrystalline to the crystalline state b y measuring the temperature dependence of the thermoelectromotive forc e supplied by three thermocouples of compositions Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 , Fe90Hf7B3 and Fe90Zr7B3. The measurements were performed on amorphou s ribbons, one portion of the sample being crystallized by the Joule e ffect, during the evolution of the crystallization process. A comparat ive study of the evolution of the thermoelectromotive force for the th ree alloys is also presented. The thermoelectric measurements indicate an increase in the value of the thermoelectromotive force for all stu died alloys and a change in the sign of the Fe-Hf-B and Fe-Zr-B thermo electromotive force. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.