Fe-Si Base Alloy and Method of Making Same
A soft magnetic alloy having a good combination of formability and magnetic properties is disclosed. The alloy has the formula Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f wherein M is Cr and/or Mo; L is Co and/or Ni; M′ is one or more of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga; M″ is one or more of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W; and R is one or more of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce. The elements Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent: Si 4-7 M 0.1-7 L 0.1-10 M′ up to 7 M″ up to 7 R up to 1 The balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities. A thin-gauge article made from the alloy and a method of making the thin-gauge article are also disclosed.
1 . A soft magnetic alloy having good formability, said alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof,
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.1-7
L
0.1-10
M′
up to 7
M″
up to 7
R
up to 1
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities.
2 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 1 which contains at least about 0.5% L.
3 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 2 which contains not more than about 7% L.
4 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 1 which contains at least about 0.75% L.
5 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 4 which contains not more than about 6% L.
6 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 1 which contains at least about 0.5% M.
7 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 6 which contains not more than about 6% M.
8 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 7 which contains at least about 1% M.
9 . The soft magnetic alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the alloy contains not more than about 0.1% carbon, not more than about 0.1% nitrogen, and not more than about 0.1% sulfur when the alloy contains one or more elements that form or are likely to form carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, and/or sulfides in the alloy.
10 . A soft magnetic alloy having good formability, said alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof,
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.5-7
L
0.5-7
M′
up to 5
M″
5 max.
R
up to 1
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities.
11 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 10 which contains at least about 0.75% L.
12 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 11 which contains not more than about 5% L.
13 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 10 which contains at least about 1% M.
14 . The magnetic alloy claimed in claim 13 which contains not more than about 6% M.
15 . The soft magnetic alloy as claimed in claim 15 wherein the alloy contains not more than about 0.1% carbon, not more than about 0.1% nitrogen, and not more than about 0.1% sulfur when the alloy contains one or more elements that form or are likely to form carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, and/or sulfides in the alloy.
16 . A soft magnetic alloy having good formability, said alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof;
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
1-6
L
0.75-5
M′
0.1-3
M″
3 max.
R
up to 1
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities.
17 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 16 wherein the alloy contains not more than about 0.1% carbon, not more than about 0.1% nitrogen, and not more than about 0.1% sulfur when the alloy contains one or more elements that form or are likely to form carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, and/or sulfides in the alloy.
18 . A soft magnetic alloy having good formability, said alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof,
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.5-7
L
up to 7
M′
up to 7
M″
up to 7
R
up to 1
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities.
19 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 18 wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.5-7
L
<5
M′
0.05-5
M″
<5
R
up to 1
20 . The soft magnetic alloy claimed in claim 18 wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.5-7
L
<5
M′
0.2-4
M″
<3
R
up to 1
21 . The soft magnetic alloy as claimed in claim 18 wherein the alloy contains not more than about 0.1% carbon, not more than about 0.1% nitrogen, and not more than about 0.1% sulfur when the alloy contains one or more elements that form or are likely to form carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, and/or sulfides in the alloy.
22 . A method of making a steel alloy product from a soft magnetic alloy comprising the steps of:
melting an alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof,
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.1-7
L
0.1-10
M′
up to 7
M″
up to 7
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities;
casting the alloy into an ingot;
thermomechanically processing said ingot to provide an intermediate elongated product form having a thickness less than about 2 in.;
cooling the intermediate elongated product; and then
mechanically working the intermediate elongated product form to produce a thin-gauge elongated product.
23 . The method claimed in claim 22 wherein the step of thermomechanically working consists of hot rolling, warm rolling, or a combination of hot and warm rolling.
24 . The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the mechanical working step consists of warm rolling, cold rolling, or a combination of warm and cold rolling the intermediate elongated product form.
25 . The method as claimed in claim 22 comprising the step of heating the intermediate elongated product to a temperature above the order-disorder transition temperature.
26 . The method as claimed in claim 25 comprising the step of cooling the intermediate elongated product from said temperature at a rate that is effective to inhibit the formation of an ordered phase in the alloy.
27 . A thin-gauge article formed from an alloy having the chemical formula
Fe 100-a-b-c-d-e-f Si a M b L c M′ d M″ e R f
wherein M is one or both of Cr and Mo;
L is one or both of Co and Ni;
M′ is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, and a combination thereof,
M″ is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Hf, Nb, W, and a combination thereof,
R is selected from the group consisting of B, Zr, Mg, P, Ce, and a combination thereof; and
wherein Si, M, L, M′, M″, and R have the following ranges in weight percent:
Si
4-7
M
0.1-7
L
0.1-10
M′
up to 7
M″
up to 7
R
up to 1
and the balance of the alloy is iron and usual impurities, said thin-gauge article being characterized by a high magnetic saturation induction, high magnetic permeability, and good ductility.