Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Improvement of glass forming ability (GFA) of two soft magnetic amorphous alloys (Fe75.5Ni1 3Si8.6B13.5 and Co69.6Fe1.3Mn4.5Si14.3B9 3Mo1) by heat treatment of melts prepared from different precursors (bulk ingot, rapidly quenched ribbons and granules) was studied. An assumption that the maximum undercooling ability corresponds to the maximum GFA was used to optimize the heat treatment mode. A temperature range was found by DTA for each alloy melt, favoring its undercooling (so called “undercoolable melt”). Usage of rapidly quenched precursor expands the range towards lower temperatures. GFA of the alloys was estimated by several melt quench techniques (casting, spinning and INROWASP). Fully amorphous samples with the thickness of 0.06–0.5 mm were prepared.