Thermal-Temporal Treatment Preparation of the Melt Before Amorphization to Obtain Nanocrystalline Magnetic Cores with Unique Magnetic Characteristics

Abstract

This review presents a current understanding of the relationship between the structure of multicomponent metallic melts and the processes of amorphization and nanocrystallization. Particular attention is paid to the thermal-temporal treatment (TTT) of melts as a precision method for monitoring the nonequilibrium state of the liquid phase, the relaxation kinetics of cluster associations, and liquid–liquid transitions (LLT). The mechanisms by which precrystallization melt treatment affects the homogeneity of the amorphous precursor, the size of nanograins (7–15 nm), the phase composition (Fe3Si, Fe2B), and the resulting magnetic characteristics of toroidal cores (μmax > 600,000, Hc < 0.5 A/m) are investigated. Based on an analysis of structural models of metallic melts (cybotactic, quasicrystalline, and quasichemical), it is shown that critical temperatures, viscosity hysteresis, and oscillatory relaxation serve as indicators of melt equilibrium. It is noted that the optimized TTT protocols combined with controlled annealing at 542–572 °C enable the formation of Fe3Si nanograins with exceptional magnetic softness. The results open the possibility of discussing the prospects for integrating TTT with in situ diagnostics, CALPHAD modeling, and the potential of machine learning for the design of next-generation soft magnetic nanomaterials with tailored frequency characteristics for high-frequency power electronics and their use in electromagnetic shielding.