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Effect of alloy substituents on soft magnetic properties and economics of Fe-based and Co-based alloys

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Abstract

Amorphous and nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys have garnered interests in academia and industry due to their potentials for applications, such as power transformers, electric motors, and sensors. To achieve good glass formability, thermal stability, and prevent grain overgrowth, elements such as B, Nb, Ta, and Hf are used in many soft magnetic systems. However, the high price of these precursors results in expensive soft magnetic alloys. Herein, we report on substituting Ta and Hf with TaC and HfC, respectively, to significantly reduce the cost of Fe-based FINEMET and Co-based HTX005 alloys. Soft magnetic properties of these alloys are studied. The effect of thermal annealing and strain annealing on TaC and HfC substituted alloys are also investigated. Lastly, we discuss the cost analysis on these alloys. Using the synthesis route presented here, a cost reduction of up to 74% can be achieved.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M. E. M and M. K acknowledge the support from the Army Research Laboratory (Contract Number: W911NF-14-1-0184) and M. E. M acknowledges the support from the Wright Patterson Air Force (Contract Number: FA8650-12-D-2225). This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15217, USA

    Michael Kurniawan, Vladimir Keylin & Michael Edward McHenry

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  1. Michael Kurniawan
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  2. Vladimir Keylin
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Correspondence to Michael Kurniawan.

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This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr-editor-manuscripts/.

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Kurniawan, M., Keylin, V. & McHenry, M.E. Effect of alloy substituents on soft magnetic properties and economics of Fe-based and Co-based alloys. Journal of Materials Research 30, 2231–2237 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2015.197

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