Characterization of nanocrystalline FeSiCr powders prepared by ball milling

FeSi10Cr10 powder was mechanically alloyed by high energy planetary ball milling, starting from elemental powders. The microstructural and magnetic properties of the milled powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, 57Fe Moessbauer spectrometry and a vibratory sample magnetometer. After 3 h of milling, the formation of two bcc solid solutions α-Fe1 (Si, Cr) and α-Fe2 (Si, Cr) is observed. Their grain sizes decrease with increase in milling time attaining, at 15 h of milling, 23 and 11 nm, respectively. Moessbauer spectra of the milled powder show the presence of two components. One is a ferromagnetic type with a broad sextuplet. Its distribution of hyperfine field is characterized by high and low hyperfine field's peaks and a mean value of 26.5 T. The other is a single paramagnetic peak. Its low concentration increases to ∼4% at 15 h of milling. These results can be explained by different atomic environments affected by Si or/and Cr elements, as well as the increased disordered grain boundaries. Magnetic measurements of the milled FeSi10Cr10 alloy powder exhibit a soft ferromagnetic character with a decrease of both magnetization at saturation (Ms) and coercive force (Hc) with milling time attaining values of Ms=151 emu/g and Hc=2500 A/m at 30 h of milling time.