Provided is a soft magnetic powder that can produce a dust core having excellent magnetic properties. The soft magnetic powder has a chemical composition, excluding inevitable impurities, represented by a composition formula of Fe.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cP.sub.dCu.sub.eM.sub.f, where the M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Mo, Zr, Ta, W, Hf, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, C, Al, S, O, and N, 79 at %≤a≤84.5 at %, 0 at %≤b<6 at %, 0 at %<c≤10 at %, 4 at %<d≤11 at %, 0.2 at %≤e≤0.53 at %, 0 at %≤f≤4 at %, a+b+c+d+e+f=100 at %, a particle size is 1 mm or less, and a median of circularity of particles constituting the soft magnetic powder is 0.4 or more and 1.0 or less.

A magnetic material and an inductor capable of attaining both higher magnetic permeability and improved DC superposition characteristics. A composite magnetic material contains metal magnetic particles, in which the metal magnetic particles include first particles having a median diameter D.sub.50 of 1.3 μm or more and 5.0 μm or less (i.e., from 1.3 μm to 5.0 μm), and second particles having a median diameter D.sub.50 larger than the first particles. The first and second particles each include a core portion made of a metal magnetic material, and an insulating film provided on a surface of the core portion. The insulating film of the second particles has an average thickness of 40 nm or more and 100 nm or less (i.e., from 40 nm to 100 nm). The insulating film of the first particles has an average thickness smaller than that of the insulating film of the second particles.

To provide a soft magnetic alloy or the like, from which a magnetic component having a good temperature property of core loss can be obtained. The soft magnetic alloy includes Fe. The soft magnetic alloy includes a crystallite, and an amorphous phase existing around the crystallite. A total area ratio of the crystallite in a cross section of the soft magnetic alloy is 40% or more and less than 60%. An average thickness of the amorphous phase is 3.0 nm or more and 10.0 nm or less. A standard deviation of a thickness of the amorphous phase is 10.0 nm or less.

An Fe-based nanocrystalline alloy is represented by Composition Formula, (Fe.sub.(1-a)M.sup.1a).sub.100-b-c-d-e-gM.sup.2.sub.bB.sub.cP.sub.dCu.sub.eM.sup.3.sub.g, where M.sup.1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni, M.sup.2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Mo, Zr, Ta, W, Hf, Ti, V, Cr, and Mn, M.sup.3 is at least two elements selected from the group consisting of C, Si, Al, Ga, and Ge but necessarily includes C, and 0≤a≤0.5, 1.5<b≤3, 10≤c≤13, 0<d≤4, 0<e≤1.5, and 8.5≤g≤12.

Amorphous metal foil and method for the production of an amorphous metal foil using a rapid solidification technology is provided. An amorphous metal foil having a width of 2 mm to 300 mm, a thickness of less than 20 μm and a maximum of 50 holes per square metre is also provided.

A steel sheet has a specific chemical composition and has a structure represented by, by area ratio, ferrite: 5 to 60%, and bainite: 40 to 95%. When a region that is surrounded by a grain boundary having a misorientation of 15° or more and has a circle-equivalent diameter of 0.3 μm or more is defined as a crystal grain, the proportion of crystal grains each having an intragranular misorientation of 5 to 14° to all crystal grains is 20 to 100% by area ratio. A precipitate density of Ti(C,N) and Nb(C,N) each having a circle-equivalent diameter of 10 nm or less is 10.sup.10 precipitates/mm.sup.3 or more. A ratio (Hvs/Hvc) of a hardness at 20 μm in depth from a surface (Hvs) to a hardness of the center of a sheet thickness (Hvc) is 0.85 or more.

The iron alloy particle is a particle including an iron alloy. The particle includes multiple mixed-phase particles, each including nanocrystals of 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less (i.e., from 10 nm to 100 nm) in crystallite size and an amorphous phase; and a grain boundary layer between the mixed-phase particles. Also, the iron alloy has a composition containing Fe, Si, P, B, C, and Cu.

The iron alloy particle is a particle including an iron alloy. The particle includes multiple mixed-phase particles, each including nanocrystals of 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less (i.e., from 10 nm to 100 nm) in crystallite size and an amorphous phase; and a grain boundary layer between the mixed-phase particles. Also, the iron alloy has a composition containing Fe, Si, P, B, C, and Cu.

A production method for water-atomized metal powder includes: in a region in which the average temperature of a molten metal stream having an Fe concentration of 76.0 at % or more and less than 82.9 at % is 100° C. or more higher than the melting point, spraying primary cooling water at a convergence angle of 10° to 25°, where the convergence angle is an angle between an impact direction on the molten metal stream from one direction and an impact direction on the molten metal stream from any other direction; and in a region in which 0.0004 seconds or more have passed after an impact of the primary cooling water and the average temperature of metal powder is the melting point or higher and (the melting point+100° C.) or lower, spraying secondary cooling water on the metal powder under conditions of an impact pressure of 10 MPa or more.

A magnetic material and an inductor capable of attaining both higher magnetic permeability and improved DC superposition characteristics. A composite magnetic material contains metal magnetic particles, in which the metal magnetic particles include first particles having a median diameter D.sub.50 of 1.3 .Math.m or more and 5.0 .Math.m or less (i.e., from 1.3 .Math.m to 5.0 .Math.m), and second particles having a median diameter D.sub.50 larger than the first particles. The first and second particles each include a core portion made of a metal magnetic material, and an insulating film provided on a surface of the core portion. The insulating film of the second particles has an average thickness of 40 nm or more and 100 nm or less (i.e., from 40 nm to 100 nm). The insulating film of the first particles has an average thickness smaller than that of the insulating film of the second particles.