Production of Fe-B based glassy metal alloys and examination of their properties

In this master's thesis, metallic glasses with soft magnetic properties based on Fe-B, namely Fe38Co38Mo8Cu1B15 (Fe38) and Fe42Co42Cu1B15 (Fe42), have been produced in strip form using the planar flow casting technique. These alloys, utilized as sensor materials in satellite tracking systems, were subjected to proton irradiation to assess their performance under the challenging conditions of space. Subsequently, the impact of proton irradiation on the structural, magnetic, and sensor performance of the strips was investigated with irradiation doses from 15 to 30 to 60 kRad. The structural analysis of the alloys was conducted through X-ray diffraction patterns and SEM. For the investigation of surface and bulk magnetic properties, a magnetic force microscope and a vibrating sample magnetometer were employed. While the amorphous structure of the Fe38 alloy remained unchanged with irradiation, a degree of crystallization was observed in the Fe42 alloy, likely due to local heating of the strip. The formation of magnetic domains in Fe38 alloy was clearly observed in MFM images after irradiation, whereas this formation was not observed in Fe42 alloy due to excessive domain growth. As the irradiation dose increased, a decrease in the transfer functions of sensors was observed for both alloys, accompanied by a significant increase in noise.