Structure and magnetostriction of Tb sub(0.4)Nd sub(0.6)(Fe sub(0.8)Co sub(0.2)) sub(1.90) alloy prepared by solid-state synthesis

Mechanical alloying (MA) and subsequent solid sintering process was used to prepare the Nd-containing magnetostrictive Tb sub(0.4)Nd sub(0.6)-(Fe sub(0.8)Co sub(0.2)) sub(1.90) alloy. The structure, thermal stability and phase transformation were investigated as functions of composition, milling process and annealing temperature. An amorphous phase was formed by high-energy ball milling for 5 h with the ball-to-powder weight ratio of 20:1, which crystallized into MgCu sub(2)-type and PuNi sub(3)-type crystalline structure with different annealing temperatures. The magnetoelastic properties were investigated by means of a standard strain technique. The high Nd-content (Tb,Nd)(Fe,Co) sub(2) Laves phase for the composition Tb sub(0.4)Nd sub(0.6)(Fe sub(0.8)Co sub(0.2)) sub(1.90) was synthesized by MA process plus annealing at 500 degree C for 30 min.