Crystallization and structural relaxation of amorphous FeNiSiB alloys due to rapid heating

The unconventional method of annealing of amorphous metals makes use of the Joule heat produced by passing electric current pulses. The effects induced in amorphous FexNi75−xSi10B15 and Fe80B20 alloys by rapid heating with a heating rate of 104 K/s are studied in detail as a function of alloy composition. The structural relaxation and the formation of crystalline phases were characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Various crystalline phases were formed as a result of pulse heating in dependence on the relative contents of iron and nickel in the amorphous phase. The crystallization caused by pulse heating leads to crystallization products that usually differ considerably from those formed in conventional annealing. In particular the micro- and nanocrystalline materials can be formed in this way.