The influence of pressure on the phase stability of nanocomposite Fe{sub 89}Zr{sub 7}B{sub 4} during heating from energy dispersive x-ray diffraction

Nanocomposite materials consisting of small crystalline grains embedded within an amorphous matrix show promise for many soft magnetic applications. The influence of pressure is investigated by in situ diffraction of hammer milled Fe{sub 89}Zr{sub 7}B{sub 4} during heating through the {alpha}{yields}{gamma} Fe transition at 0.5, 2.2, and 4.9 GPa. The changes in primary and secondary crystallization onset are described by diffusion and the energy to form a critical nucleus within the framework of classical nucleation theory.