Crystallization of amorphous Fe-Cr-B alloys investigated with high heating rates

Rapid annealing of metallic glasses results in their physical properties different from those stemming from isothermal or non-isothermal annealing with slow heating rates. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) with heating rates up to 2500 K min-1 was applied to investigate amorphous alloys of the composition Fe85-xCrxB15 (x=0, 1, 5) in order to follow the crystallization process. The results have been compared with those obtained with the usual low heating rate processes available from the commercial DSC method. Simultaneously recorded high heating rates magnetic susceptibilities complement the thermal measurements and reveal an interesting phenomenon of suppression of the decomposition of the residual amorphous phase when the heating rates exceed 1250 K min-1, 550 K min-1 and 250 K min-1 for x=0, 1 and 5, respectively. Both, the high heating rate and the Cr addition facilitate the formation of nanostructure which is stable against a further decomposition.