Thermally stabilized nickel-cobalt materials and methods of thermally stabilizing the same

Nickel-cobalt materials, methods of forming a nickel-cobalt material, and methods of thermally stabilizing a nickel-cobalt material are provided. A nickel-cobalt material may include a metal matrix composite with amorphous regions and crystalline regions substantially encompassed by a nanocrystalline grain structure with a grain size distribution of about 50 nanometers to about 800 nanometers, and the nanocrystalline grain structure may include widespread intragranular twinning. The metal matrix composite may have a chemical makeup that includes nickel, cobalt, and a dopant such as phosphorus and/or boron. A nickel-cobalt material may be heat treated within a first temperature zone below the onset temperature for grain growth and then within a second temperature zone above the onset temperature for grain growth in the material. Chemical composition and heat treatment may yield a thermally stabilized nickel-cobalt material.