Investigation of the Alpha-Sub-Gamma Phase in Alnico 6
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Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1970 Investigation of the alpha-sub-gamma phase in alnico 6 Cortez Samuel Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons, Biological and Chemical Physics Commons, and the Materials Chemistry Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Samuel, Cortez, "Investigation of the alpha-sub-gamma phase in alnico 6" (1970). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 1473. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.1472 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. A.~ ABSfRACI 0;::' THE Tf'!f;Sl S OF Ccri;.!!2. S'i.ml\.l~l for tho M"-,ster of Sci~ncc in Fhysic$ presl!nted ~ptember 4, 1970.· Title: Inves'tlgation of the Alphi.-S.Jb-~r:1ffi;i Phase in Alnico 6 •. APPROVED BY MEM~ERS OF THE n Oalsh, ChNi~n Nan-Teh Hsu The purpose of this rosoarch project Wftls to study the o{-t phase in Alnico 6. Other. phi\!;es \'Jere studied fOl' comparison.. A120 tho affect of Dn applied magnetic field on the formation of the 0 \t·.1 Three single crystals of Alnico 6 were h~at treated fox one • • 0 hO;;;';--OflG it 1250 C, on~ at 1000 C, and one at 800 C.. -tlnd watel'-qu(,flcr:cd • .The microstl'ucture of each sClrnple Vi~\S observed with the optical l.jic:ro~ scope, and X-ray diffraction patterns wore taken to determin~ the Severiil single cryctnl s~5r::pl~s of Alnico 6 ':.'~N ht~nt treated at 1000 ClC a.nd 'f\.1rnlilce-co,'ledo f~me of th~ sar.lples Vi(':rc beat treated and furn~ce-cooled in the presenco of an applied magnetic field of about ~ooo Oe, and the others were heat treated and furnace-~ooled without an applied' magnetic field. Each set of samples were electl'othinneC:, and the microstructure of the C<'" and eI, ... 0( phases was studied llsing the :L electron microscope. Electron diffr~ction patterns and electron micro graphs were taken 'from O<y regions and 0<, + o(~ regions of each s«mple. By 8 combination of X-ray and electr~n diffraction, it was deter mined that the crystal structure of the 0<, 0( , 0( , and 0("", , , 'L fJ phases is body-centered cubic, with a lattice parameter of 2.87 A.• Electron diffraction showed that the crystal structure of tho combined 0( + 0( phases is ordered body-centered cubic, and that the lattic~s I 2 of these two phases are coherent. Other investigators have found that only the O{, phase is ordered in Alnico 5 and Alnico 8, and this is believed to be. the case in Alnico 6 al so. Electron diffraction showed the ~rph«s~ to be ordered, with the degre~ of ordering less than that ,in the 0(1 pha se. Some difference was noted between the O{... phase formed \"fith i! magnotic fit!ld and that formed without a magnetic field. The 0('( formed with a magnetic f5.~ld showed twinning and some small lattice , rotations, while th<at formed without, it field did not. The reaoon for this ts not known" INVEsrIGATION OF THE ALPHA-SUB-GAMMA FfIASE IN ALNICO 6 by CORTEZ SA,MUEL A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASl'ER OF SCIENCE in ffiYSICS Portland Stilte University 1970 TO THE <FF1CE OF GRADUATE srUDIES. Th...libel" .f the C-ltt•••pprove the thesis of Certez s..uel . pr...nted .pt.llber 4. 1970 • ... Naft-teb Hsu ., . Matetotat•• ,- . "" , ' ,(" Septellbfpl' 8, 1970 ACKNOWLEDGMEtff S The author is grateful to his adviser, Dr. John Dash, fer his guidance throughout the resoarch project. Dr. Dash provided the samples ~f Alnico 6; took the electron micrograp~s and electron diffraction patterns; and was an excellent source of information fo~ the theory and experimental procedures. Financial support WiS provided by the Tektronix Foundation Fellowship in Materials Science and by a gl'ant from Research Corpo ration. This financial assistance made this work possible, and the' author is 9r~teful for the gen~rosity of these organizations. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGA<tENT S • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii LI Sf OF TABLES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vi LISf OF FIGURES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vii OiAPTER I INTRODUcr ION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE • • • • • 1 Phase Relations • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 0<, + 0(1. Phases •••••••••••••••• 3 o<yPhase ••••••••••••••••••• 6 II DES:RIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. • • • • • • • • • • • • 9 III MEfHODS AND TECHNIQUES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 Samples Studied by Optical Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction •• • • • • • • • • • • • 11 Samples Studied by Electron Microscopy and Electron Diffraction • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 Heat Treatment • ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 Magnetic Annealing Furnace • • • • • • • • • 14 Electrothinning •••••••••••••• 15 IV EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 Optical Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction. • • • 18 Electron Microscopy and Electron Diffraction • • 24 Samples Heat Treated without a magnetic Field ••••••••••••••••• 24 Samples Heat Treat~d with a magnetic Field ••••••••••••••••• 29 v Q1APTER PAGE V DIOCUSSION OF THE RESULTS • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 Conclusions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 SUggestions for Further Study • • • • • • • • 42 REFERENCES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 44 LISf OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I Phase Relations of Alnico 8 Alloys ••••• • • • 3 Ll sr OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1 The effect of the ~t phase on the magnetic properties of .Alnico 8 samples ••••••••••••••••• 8 2 Photograph of the magnetic annedingfurnac~ positioned between the pole pieces of the electro magnet • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 3 Schematic diagram of the electrothinning circuit • . 16 4 Dark field optical micrograph of the c:>( phase of an Alnico 6 sample heated fqr 1 hr at 1250·0 and water-qul!!nched • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19 5 X-ray diffraction pattern of the 0< phase • • • • • • 19 6 Dark field opt.ical micrograph of the 0< and 0(. y phases of a sample of Alnico 6 heated for 1 hr at 1000·0 and water-quenched • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 7 X-ray diffraction pattern of the 0( and 0('1 phases • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • 21 8 D..rk field optical micrograph of the 0(1 and 0('J,. phases of an Alnico 6 sample heated for 1 hr at 800·0 and water-quenched • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 23 9 X-ray diffraction pattern of the 0(, and c("l,.. phases • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 23 10 Bright field optical micrograph of i sample heat freil.ted without a magnetic field ilnd furnace-cooled • 25 viii FIGURE PAGE 11 Bright field optical micrograph of a sample heat treated with • magnetic field and furnace-cooled • • • 25 12 Electlion micrograph showing the 0<'( pha se and the '0(1 + 0('1- pha ses of a sample heat' tN!atecl without a magnetic field and furnace-cooled • • • • • 26 13 Electon .diff.raction pattern of the 0<, + OJ( 2.. phases • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28 14 Electron diffraction pattern of the o(r phase • • • •• 28 .15 Electron micrograph showing the (100) plane of a sample heat treated without. magnetic field • • • 30 16 Electron diffraction pattern of the e<, + c(1. phases •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. •• 31 17 Electron diffraction pattern of the a("'l phase • • • •• 31 18 Electron micrograph of a sample heat treated with a magnetic field and furnace-cooled •••.•••• 33 19 Electron diffraction pattern of the 0<1 + 0/2,. phases •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 34 20 Electron diffraction pattern of thec(t phalse • • • •• 34 21 Electron micrograph of a sample heat troated with a magnetic field and furnace-cooled •• • • • •• 35 22 Electron diffract ion pattern of the 0(. + ott.. ph ase 5 • • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 35 23 Ehctron diffraction pattern of the o<y phase. • • • • 35 24 Electron micrograph of the 0« phase ••••••••• 37 25 Electron diffraction pattern of the e>(r phase ••• ~. 37 ix FIGURE PAGE 26 Electron micrograph of the c::{, + C(.,.. phases and three unknown particles •••• • • • • •• 40 27a Electron diffraction pattern of the 0(, + 0('1,. phases •••••••••••••• • • • • • • •• 40 27b Electron diffraction pattern of the 0(, + o{~ phases a·nd one of the unknown particles • • • • • • •• 40 Q-IAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Alnico alloys are one of the most important single group of materials used for permanent magnets. These materials are alloys of iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, and aluminum, and have a wide range of excellent magnetic properties. The groundwork was laid by Mishima in 1931 by demonstrating that a certain group of Al-Ni-Fe alloys \"las suit able for permanent magnets (I). Later the magMtic properties were improved by the addition of cobalt and copper to form Alnico permanent magnets. Alnico 5 is one of the most important commercial alloys of this family. This alloy contains 51% Fe, 24% Co, 14% Ni, 8% AI, and 3% Cu by weight. An energy product (BH)max =4.5-5.0 X 106 G Oe and a coer cive force He =600-630 Oe (1) are indicative of the excellent mag netic properties of these alloys \\hen theyare heat treated in a mag netic field. These magnetic properties are obtained for a poly_ crystalli~t sample; properties for a single crystal sample are improved significant!y. These Alnico alloys have cubic structure. Ymen a magnetic field of about 1000 De is applied, along a <).00) direction of a single crystal during heat treatment, values as high as 8.7 X 106 G Oe for the maximum energy product and 760 Oe for the coercive force have been realized in Alnico 5 alloys (2). 2 It has been shown that the limited addition of titanium raises the coercive force of Alnico alloys (3). A crystal-oriented sample of Alnico 8 (containing 35% Fe, 34.8% Co, 14.9% Ni, 7.5% Al, 2.4%Cu, and 5.4% Ti by weight) was developed by Naastepad (4), with a maximum energy product of about 13 X 106 G Oe and a coercive force of about 1520 Oe.