Magnetic Properties, Phase Evolution, and Microstructure of Fe90Nb10 Powder Mixtures

This study involves the synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe 90 Nb 10 (wt.%) binary powders through the use of a high-energy planetary ball mill within an inert argon environment. The milling process was used to investigate changes in structure, morphology, and magnetic properties. This was accomplished through the utilization of techniques including employing the MAUD program for X-ray diffraction, utilizing the Rietveld method, employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), utilizing energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and employing vibrating sample magnetometry. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, it was observed that a disordered solid solution of α-Fe(Nb) with a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure formed after 12 h of milling. Interestingly, the analysis also indicated that the average crystallite size within this α-Fe(Nb) solid solution was remarkably small, measuring a mere 13 nm. Furthermore, the ultimate lattice strain 1/2 was quantified at 1.08%. It is worth noting that the lattice parameter underwent a rapid and substantial increase from 0.2871 to 0.2879 nm after 36 h of milling. The SEM analyses revealed the development of diverse morphologies at different milling stages. The EDX experiments validating the outcomes observed through XRD revealed elemental maps of Fe and Nb. These results corroborated the evolution of alloy formation. The study also explored variations in saturation magnetization (Ms), coercive field (Hc), remanent magnetization (Mr), and squareness ratio (Mr/Ms) in connection with microstructural modifications during the milling process.