Control of a Nanocomposite Structure in Fe86Nd9B5 Alloy by Electron Irradiation

Change in nanocomposite structure in rapidly solidified Fe86Nd9B5 alloy during electron irradiation was investigated. Nanocrystalline structure composed of (alpha)Fe, Fe3B, Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe23B3 crystalline phases was formed by rapid solidification. Electron irradiation can introduce amorphization of intermetallic compounds and crystallization of an amorphous phase, resulting in the formation of a novel nanocomposite structure in which (alpha)-Fe and Nd2Fe14B nanocrystals are embedded in the amorphous matrix. The mechanism of nanocomposite structure formation was discussed based on the phase stability of amorphous and crystalline phases under electron irradiation.