Structures and superparamagnetic properties of overaged Fe–Al–Mn–C alloys

Microstructures and superparamagnetic properties in aged-hardened Fe–9%Al–30%Mn– (x)C,Si alloys, resulting from overaging at a temperature of 823 K for 48 h to 313 days, have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction patterns, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The results reveal that the precipitate κ-phase [(Fe,Mn)₃AlC] decomposition in this alloy, overaged at 823 K for one week, resulted from two separate mechanisms: (1) wetting of the antiphase boundary segment (APBs) of D0₃ [(Fe/Mn)₃Al] domains by the B2 [(Fe/Mn)Al] phase; and (2) precipitation of the B2 [(Fe/Mn)Al] phase within the domain. A superparamagnetic behaviour was discovered when the alloy was overaged at 823 K for ≈120–313 days. The super-soft magnetic property was mainly attributable to the ferromagnetic spinel-ordered (B2 [(Fe/Mn)Al]+D0₃ [(Fe/Mn)₃Al]) phases and ordered B2 with monoclinic ′Mn structures.