1991 Volume 32 Issue 6 Pages 551-556
We have investigated the possible applications potential of a newly developed bcc-nanocrystalline Fe86Zr7B6Cu1 alloy by determining the core loss, permeability μe, and magnetization B800 (at a field 800 kA/m). The above parameters have been studied as a function of annealing temperature Ta of the as-quenched amorphous alloy, maximum induction Bm, and frequency (up to 100 kHz). On transformation to the bcc-nanocrystalline state at 873 K with a 10 nm grain size, maximum values of μe=41000 and B800=1.52 T are obtained. The determined core loss is found to achieve a minimum value of 66 mW/kg at 1 T, 50 Hz. This value is considerably smaller (45 and 95% respectively) than those reported for the amorphous Fe78Si9B13 and bcc Fe–3.5%Si alloys now in use as transformer core materials. The observed Bm and frequency dependences of the loss values for our new Fe–Zr–B–Cu alloy are consistently found to be superior as well. Thus, the bcc-nanocrystalline Fe–Zr–B–Cu alloy is quite promising for practical use as a core material in various transformers with the advantage of high B800, high μe and low core loss.