(Ni,Fe,Co)-based nanocrystalline soft magnets with near-zero magnetostriction

Nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials have been developed possessing a wide variety of compositions designed to reduce losses and a high saturation induction. Nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys with compositions (Fe/sub 1-x-y/Co/sub x/Ni/sub y/)/sub 89-z/Zr/sub 7/B/sub 4/Cu/sub z/ were prepared by the isothermal annealing of melt-spun ribbons. The ribbon samples were characterized by the following techniques: differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Several alloys have been shown to have near-zero magnetostriction. Alloy design, synthesis, and properties of these alloys will be discussed.