On the interpretation of the mössbauer spectra of ordered FeSi alloys

Iron–silicon alloys in the concentration range between 13 and 27 at% Si are investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy. Such alloys are known to have the D03 crystal structure of ordered Fe3Si which exhibits a wide homogeneity range. Non-stoichiometric alloys, however, show complicated Mössbauer spectra with many subspectra due to the various Fe sites which in this case are present in the D03 structure. The aim of this investigation is to improve both the spectral resolution of the Mössbauer spectra obtained for various Si concentrations and the assignment of the subspectra to the Fe sites. Using appropriate binomial distributions, it would then be possible to calculate the silicon content of the alloys from the Mössbauer spectra.