Influence of Thermal Treatment on Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of Amorphous Fe<inf>40</inf>Ni<inf>40</inf>B<inf>12</inf>Si<inf>8</inf> Alloy

Abstract

Microstructural evolution of thermally treated melt-quenched amorphous Fe40Ni40B12Si8 alloy was studied in terms of its influence on corrosion behavior of the alloy. Alloy structure was transformed gradually from purely amorphous and chemically homogeneous to fully crystalline, yielding γ-(Fe,Ni), Ni31Si12 and (Fe,Ni)2B phases as the final products. Corrosion study of the alloy in amorphous, partially crystalline as well as fully crystalline form, performed by electrochemical measurements in 0.5 M NaCl, together with the morphology examination, revealed that the microstructure and phase composition are crucial factors determining the corrosion resistance of the alloy in corrosive environment.