Microstructure and magnetostrictive performance of NbC-doped <100> oriented Fe-Ga alloys

Abstract

The <100> oriented Fe83Ga17 alloy rods with various NbC contents less than 1at% were prepared by the directional solidification method at a growth rate of 720 mmh⁻¹. Low NbC-content was found to affect the oriented grain growth and slightly improve the <100> orientation. Flat grain boundaries in the alloys with low NbC contents less than 0.2at% became greatly curved at higher NbC contents, and a large amount of Nb-rich precipitates were observed in the alloys with high NbC contents. Small amounts of NbC, less than 0.2at%, resulted in an increase in magnetostrictive strain due to the improvement of the <100> orientation, and a high magnetostrictive strain value of 335 10⁻⁶ under a pre-stress of 15 MPa was obtained in the 0.1at% NbC-doped alloys. The magnetostrictive performance obviously decreased with the NbC addition higher than 0.5at%, and the strain sensitivity under no pre-stress was lower than that in the binary Fe-Ga alloy.

Keywords

iron gallium alloys / magnetostriction / texture / niobium carbide / directional solidification

References

[1] Clark AE, Restorff JB, Wun-Fogle M, Lograsso TA, Schlagel DL. Magnetostrictive properties of body-centered cubic Fe-Ga and Fe-Ga-Al alloys. IEEE Trans. Magn., 2000, 36(5): 3238.

[2] Clark AE, Hathaway KB, Wun-Fogle M, Restorff JB, Lograsso TA, Keppens VM, Petculescu G, Taylor RA. Extraordinary magnetoelasticity and lattice softening in bcc Fe-Ga alloys. J. Appl. Phys., 2003, 93(10): 8621.

[3] Kellogg RA, Russell AM, Lograsso TA, Flatau AB, Calrk AE, Wun-Fogle M. Tensile properties of magnetostrictive iron-gallium alloys. Acta Mater., 2004, 52(17): 5043.

[4] J. Appl. Phys., 2014, 115(17)

[5] J. Appl. Phys., 2013, 113(17)

[6] Fang ML, Zhu J, Golovin IS, Li JH, Yuan C, Gao XX. Internal friction in (Fe₈₀Ga₂₀)_99.95(NbC)_0.05 alloy at elevated temperatures. Intermetallics, 2012, 29, 133.

[7] J. Appl. Phys., 2013, 114(12)

[8] J. Appl. Phys., 2008, 103(7)

[9] J. Appl. Phys., 2007, 101(9)

[10] Restorff JB, Wun-Fogle M, Clark AE, Lograsso TA, Ross AR, Schlagel DL. Magnetostriction of ternary Fe-Ga-X alloys (X=Ni, Mo, Sn, Al). J. Appl. Phys., 2002, 91(10): 8225.

[11] Li JH, Gao XX, Zhu J, Li J, Zhang MC. Ductility enhancement and magnetostriction of polycrystalline Fe-Ga based alloys. J. Alloys Compd., 2009, 484(1–2): 203.

[12] Li JH, Gao XX, Zhu J, Bao XQ, Xia T, Zhang MC. Ductility, texture and large magnetostriction of Fe-Ga-based sheets. Scripta Mater., 2010, 63(2): 246.

[13] Na SM, Flatau AB. Single grain growth and large magnetostriction in secondarily recrystallized Fe-Ga thin sheet with sharp Goss (011)[100]_orientation. Scripta Mater., 2012, 66(5): 307.

[14] J. Appl. Phys., 2011, 109(9)

[15] Yuan C, Li JH, Bao XQ, Gao XX. Influence of annealing process on texture evolution and magnetostriction in rolled Fe-Ga based alloys. J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 2014, 362, 154.

[16] Appl. Phys. Lett., 2013, 102(22)

[17] Xiao XM, Gao XX, Li JH, Xie JX. Influence of yttrium on the structure and magnetostriction of Fe₈₃Ga₁₇ alloy. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2012, 19(9): 849.

[18] J.H. Li, X.X. Gao, X.M. Xiao, X.Q. Bao, and M.C. Zhang, Magnetostriction of 〈100〉 oriented Fe-Ga rods with large diameter, Rare Met., DOI 10.1007/s12598-013-0127-9.

[19] Srisukhumbowornchai N, Guruswamy S. Large magnetostriction in directionally solidified FeGa and FeGaAl alloys. J. Appl. Phys., 2001, 90(11): 5680.

[20] Li C, Liu JH, Wang ZB, Jiang CB. Crystal growth of high magnetostrictive polycrystalline Fe81Ga19 alloys. J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 2012, 324(6): 1177.

[21] Datta S, Huang M, Raim J, Lograsso TA, Flatau AB. Effect of thermal history and gallium content on magneto-mechanical properties of iron gallium alloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2006, 435–436, 221.