The Fe-B-C ternary amorphous alloys

The properties of amorphous Fe-B-C alloys have been studied. The replacement of boron by carbon reduces the thermal stability of alloys containing more than approximately 80-percent iron, increases the Curie temperature slightly, and decreases the slope of the magnetization-temperature curve. Thus, although the low-temperature saturation magnetization decreases on replacement of B by C, as expected, the room-temperature magnetization exhibits a broad ridge of constant saturation magnetization per gram extending from approximately Fe
80
B
20
to approximately Fe
83
B
11
C
6
. This ridge follows one of the low-temperature magnetization contours. The density of the alloys in the series Fe
84
B
16-x
C
x
was measured and compared to calculated densities. The increase in density agrees with the calculated values and results in a slight increase in saturation magnetization per unit volume with increase in carbon. The coercivity, both as-cast and after stress relief annealing, increases on replacement of B by C. This is not understood.