A method and apparatus are described for creation of amorphous metals using electromagnetic supercooling of a metal/alloy without the utilization of rapid quenching or immaculate process environments. By exposing the cooling melt to electric currents, either induced by an alternating current (AC) magnetic field or supplied directly, crystallization is suppressed, and the melt can reach significant levels of supercooling. With sufficient current densities in the melt, the supercooling can extend all the way into the glass transition range for certain materials, at which point an amorphous metal/alloy is created.

Conventional Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbons each containing Co and Ni have a problem that magnetic anisotropy that is neatly arranged in one direction cannot be induced easily even by a magnetic field annealing treatment and, therefore, a wound magnetic cores, a problem that a residual magnetic flux density Br is high, a problem that the hysteresis of the BH curve becomes large (coercivity Hc becomes large), a problem that the change in incremental permeability relative to superimposed magnetic field becomes large, and others. In order to solve the problems, provided is an Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbon including a Cu-concentrated region present directly below a surface of the ribbon, and a Co-concentrated region present directly below the Cu-concentrated region. Also provided is a magnetic core including the Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbon.

Conventional Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbons each containing Co and Ni have a problem that magnetic anisotropy that is neatly arranged in one direction cannot be induced easily even by a magnetic field annealing treatment and, therefore, a wound magnetic cores, a problem that a residual magnetic flux density Br is high, a problem that the hysteresis of the BH curve becomes large (coercivity Hc becomes large), a problem that the change in incremental permeability relative to superimposed magnetic field becomes large, and others. In order to solve the problems, provided is an Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbon including a Cu-concentrated region present directly below a surface of the ribbon, and a Co-concentrated region present directly below the Cu-concentrated region. Also provided is a magnetic core including the Fe-based soft magnetic alloy ribbon.

A method includes mixing first and second alloys to form a mixture, pressing the mixture within a first magnetic field to form a magnet having anisotropic particles of the first alloy aligned with a magnetic moment of the magnet, and heat treating the magnet within a second magnetic field to form elongated grains from the second alloy and align the elongated grains with the moment.

A method includes mixing first and second alloys to form a mixture, pressing the mixture within a first magnetic field to form a magnet having anisotropic particles of the first alloy aligned with a magnetic moment of the magnet, and heat treating the magnet within a second magnetic field to form elongated grains from the second alloy and align the elongated grains with the moment.

A heat treatment method for accelerating precipitation of nanoscale carbides in a W-containing alloy steel, including: homogenizing a billet at 1100-1200 C. for 24-48 h followed by furnace cooling to room temperature; then austenitizing the billet at 850-1000 C. for 20-40 min followed by quenching in iced brine; heating the billet to 650-750 C. with a rate of 3-7 C./min under a vacuum of 10.sup.3-10.sup.2 Pa and a magnetic field of 10-14 T, isothermalizing the billet for 0.5-2.5 h and cooling the billet to room temperature. The chemical composition of the billet is: 0.06-0.14 wt % C, 1.50-3.00 wt % W, <0.01 wt % P, <0.005 wt % S, Fe and an inevitable impurity. A temperature of the iced brine is 3 to 1 C. The invention has the advantages of simple process, low cost and shortened production period. The W-containing alloy steel treated by the method has improved strength.

A heat treatment method for accelerating precipitation of nanoscale carbides in a W-containing alloy steel, including: homogenizing a billet at 1100-1200 C. for 24-48 h followed by furnace cooling to room temperature; then austenitizing the billet at 850-1000 C. for 20-40 min followed by quenching in iced brine; heating the billet to 650-750 C. with a rate of 3-7 C./min under a vacuum of 10.sup.3-10.sup.2 Pa and a magnetic field of 10-14 T, isothermalizing the billet for 0.5-2.5 h and cooling the billet to room temperature. The chemical composition of the billet is: 0.06-0.14 wt % C, 1.50-3.00 wt % W, <0.01 wt % P, <0.005 wt % S, Fe and an inevitable impurity. A temperature of the iced brine is 3 to 1 C. The invention has the advantages of simple process, low cost and shortened production period. The W-containing alloy steel treated by the method has improved strength.

Systems and methods of hot forming a metal blank include receiving the metal blank at a heater and positioning the blank adjacent a magnetic rotor of the heater. The systems and methods also include heating the metal blank through the magnetic rotor by rotating the magnetic rotor. Rotating the magnetic rotor induces a magnetic field into the metal blank such that the metal blank is heated.

An iron-based amorphous alloy, i.e., Fe.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cP.sub.d, wherein a, b, c, and d respectively represent the atom percentages of corresponding components; 81.0a84.0, 1.0b6.0, 9.0c14.0, 0.05d3, and a+b+c+d=100. By adjusting the components and component percentages of the iron-based amorphous alloy, the obtained iron-based amorphous alloy has high saturation magnetic induction density.

An iron-based amorphous alloy, i.e., Fe.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cP.sub.d, wherein a, b, c, and d respectively represent the atom percentages of corresponding components; 81.0a84.0, 1.0b6.0, 9.0c14.0, 0.05d3, and a+b+c+d=100. By adjusting the components and component percentages of the iron-based amorphous alloy, the obtained iron-based amorphous alloy has high saturation magnetic induction density.