An amorphous alloy soft magnetic powder has a composition represented by (Fe.sub.xCo.sub.1-x).sub.100-(a+b)(Si.sub.yB.sub.1-y).sub.aM.sub.b, where M is at least one selected from the group consisting of C, S, P, Sn, Mo, Cu, and Nb, and x, y, a, and b satisfy 0.73≤x≤0.85, 0.02≤y≤0.10, 13.0≤a≤19.0, and 0≤b≤2.0. A Si—K absorption edge XANES spectrum obtained when performing an XAFS measurement on particles has a peak A present in a range of 1842±1 eV, a peak B present in a range of 1845±1 eV, and a peak C present in a range of 1848±1 eV. An intensity ratio A/C is 0.40 or less, and an intensity ratio B/C is 0.60 or less.

A soft magnetic powder of the invention has a composition represented by Fe.sub.100-a-b-c-d-e-fCu.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cM.sub.dM′.sub.eX.sub.f (at %) [wherein M is Nb, W, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti, or Mo, M′ is V, Cr, Mn, Al, a platinum group element, Sc, Y, Au, Zn, Sn, or Re, X is C, P, Ge, Ga, Sb, In, Be, or As, and a, b, c, d, e, and f are numbers that satisfy the following formulae: 0.1≤a≤3, 0<b≤30, 0<c≤25, 5≤b+c≤30, 0.1≤d≤30, 0≤e≤10, and 0≤f≤10], wherein a crystalline structure having a particle diameter of 1 nm or more and 30 nm or less is contained in an amount of 40 vol % or more, and the difference in the coercive force of the powder after classification satisfies predetermined conditions.

A crystalline Fe-based alloy powder composed of Fe-based alloy particles containing, within a structure thereof, nanocrystal grains having an average grain size of 30 nm or less, and in which d50, which is a particle diameter corresponding to a cumulative frequency of 50% by volume, is from 3.5 μm to 35.0 μm in a cumulative distribution curve that is obtained by laser diffractometry and that shows the relationship between the particle diameter and the cumulative frequency from the small particle diameter side, and a ratio of Fe-based alloy particles having a particle diameter of 2 μm or less to the total of the Fe-based alloy particles, which is determined by laser diffractometry, is from 0% by volume to 8% by volume.

A method for producing a soft magnetic material having both high saturation magnetization and low coercive force, including: preparing an alloy having a composition represented by Compositional Formula 1 or 2 and having an amorphous phase, and heating the alloy at a rate of temperature rise of 10° C./sec or more and holding for 0 to 80 seconds at a temperature equal to or higher than the crystallization starting temperature and lower than the temperature at which Fe—B compounds start to form wherein, Compositional Formula 1 is Fe.sub.100-x-yB.sub.xM.sub.y, M represents at least one element selected from Nb, Mo, Ta, W, Ni, Co and Sn, and x and y are in atomic percent (at %) and satisfy the relational expressions of 10≤x≤16 and 0≥y≤8, and Compositional Formula 2 is Fe.sub.100-a-b-cB.sub.aCu.sub.bM′.sub.c, M′ represents at least one element selected from Nb, Mo, Ta, W, Ni and Co, and a, b and c are in atomic percent (at %) and satisfy the relational expressions 10≤a≤16, 0<b≤2 and 0≤c≤8.

The present disclosure provides methods for preparing magnetostrictive powder and magnetostrictive coating, and relates to the field of magnetic functional materials and preparation thereof. The method for preparing magnetostrictive powder includes putting metals for preparing magnetostrictive powder into a vacuum melting furnace to be melted into a solution; and atomizing the solution into fine droplets by ultrasonic atomization, so that the fine droplets are cooled and solidified into magnetostrictive powder. In the method for preparing magnetostrictive powder according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sizes of the prepared powder are relatively uniform, the powder yield exceeds 90%, the ultrasonic atomization energy consumption is low, and energy is saved by about ¼ compared with conventional atomization.

A soft magnetic powder including a core containing a soft magnetic metal material and an insulating film covering the surface of the core. The insulating film contains an insulating metal oxide and an iron component, and the iron component is embedded in the insulating film.

Provided is a soft magnetic alloy including Fe as a main component, in which a slope of an approximate straight line, plotted between cumulative frequencies of 20 to 80% on Fe content in each grid of 80000 grids or more, each of which has 1 nm×1 nm×1 nm, is −0.1 to −0.4, provided that Fe content (atom %) of each grid is Y axis, and the cumulative frequencies (%) obtained in descending order of Fe content in each grid is X axis, and an amorphization ratio X is 85% or more.

Provided is an amorphous alloy soft magnetic powder having a composition represented by the following formula: (Fe.sub.xCo.sub.(1−x)).sub.(100−(a+b))(Si.sub.yB.sub.(1−y)) .sub.aM.sub.b, [where M is at least one selected from the group consisting of C, S, P, Sn, Mo, Cu, and Nb, 0.73≤x≤0.85, 0.02 ≤y≤0.10, 13.0 ≤a≤19.0, and 0≤b≤2.0], in which a coercive force is 24 [A/m] or more (0.3 [Oe] or more) and 199 [A/m] or less (2.5 [Oe] or less), and a saturation magnetic flux density is 1.60 [T] or more and 2.20 [T] or less.

Provided is a soft magnetic alloy including Fe, as a main component, and including C. the soft magnetic alloy includes an Fe composite network phase having Fe-rich grids connected in a continuous measurement range including 80000 grids, each of which size is 1 nm1 nm1 nm. An average of C content ratio of the Fe-poor grids having cumulative frequency of 90% or more from lower C content is 5.0 times or more to an average of C content ratio of the whole soft magnetic alloy.

High-pressure gas atomization (HPGA) process produces high-quality metal powder and alloy materials including soft magnetic materials. HPGA includes: (a) melting a metal to form a liquid metal; (b) forming a continuous stream of the metal liquid; and (c) directing high-pressure inert gas into the continuous stream of liquid metal to generate droplets of the liquid metal, whereby the droplets solidify to form particles that exhibit soft magnetic properties. The high-pressure inert gas quenches or cools the liquid metal at speeds of up to 510.sup.5 C. per second. The soft magnetic alloy powder is spherical-shaped with particle sizes of between 1 m and 5 m and comprises a mixture of amorphous and microcrystalline phases with a narrow size distribution. These features facilitate consolidation into various products including near-net shape magnets. Annealing yields nanocrystal phases including a-CoFe or a-Fe phase that is embedded in amorphous matrix.