Magnetization evolution during thermal treatments of CoCu metastable alloys

We have studied the magnetization changes during the thermal treatment of C oxCu100-x (x = 10, 15) melt-spun alloys in a Faraday magnetometer. The evol ution of the magnetization points out that the Co segregation starts at 370 degreesC and finishes at 550 degreesC. Room temperature hysteresis loops a nd zero field cooling curves performed in a SQUID magnetometer on samples a s-quenched and annealed at 450 degreesC and 500 degreesC reveal the presenc e of Co particles, around 2 nm in radius, and a ferromagnetic phase. For sa mple annealed at 550 degreesC, when the Co segregation has already fmished, a ferromagnetic behaviour is detected. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.