Effects of annealing on the magnetoelastic properties of Fe/sub 66/Cr/sub 8/Cu/sub 1/Nb/sub 3/Si/sub 13/B/sub 9/ ribbons

The field dependence of Young's modulus has been measured in samples of Fe/sub 66/Cr/sub 8/Cu/sub 1/Nb/sub 3/Si/sub 13/B/sub 9/ alloy annealed to induce varying nanocrystalline fractions. The results are interpreted partly in terms of internal stress relief and reduced magnetostriction in the nanocrystalline samples. It is necessary to invoke magnetocrystalline anisotropy within the nanocrystalline grains to explain the behaviour after annealing at higher temperatures and for longer times.