Magnetic losses and mechanical properties of Fe-4 to 7.8 wt% Si rapidly quenched alloys

Magnetic and mechanical properties have been investigated in Fe-4 to 7.8 wt% Si rapidly quenched and annealed ribbons. The roles played by composition and microstructure on the magnetic energy losses and the tensile stress-strain behavior have been put in evidence, by carrying out the related experiments as a function of grain size. The energy losses attain a minimum value at the 6.7% Si composition at all frequencies in the investigated range d.c.-10 kHz. The vanishing of a demonstrably important magnetostriction-related coercivity contribution, which can be singled out in these stress-free samples, is recognized as the leading cause of loss minimization. The composition and grain size dependent stress-strain curves are found to obey a Hall-Petch law for the yield stress. While the elastic limit increases with the Si content, a decrease of the strain at fracture is correspondingly observed.