Novel Fe-based nanocrystalline powder cores with excellent magnetic properties produced using gas-atomized powder

FeSiBPNbCu nanocrystalline powder cores (NPCs) with excellent magnetic properties were fabricated by cold-compaction of the gas-atomized amorphous powder. Upon annealing at the optimum temperature, the NPCs showed excellent magnetic properties, including high initial permeability of 88, high frequency stability up to 1 MHz with a constant value of 85, low core loss of 265 mW/cm(3) at 100 kHz for B-m = 0.05 T, and superior DC-bias permeability of 60% at a bias field of 100 Oe. The excellent magnetic properties of the present NPCs could be attributed to the ultrafine alpha-Fe(Si) phase precipitated in the amorphous matrix and the use of gas-atomized powder coated with a uniform insulation layer. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.