Study of Structural Evolution and Magnetic Behavior of Ni50Mn45Sn5 Alloy

Abstract

ique in a high energy planetary ball mill. Systematic study on microstructural evolution and magnetic properties after different milling time is conducted by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). It is revealed that formation of single phase alloy with an average of ~ 7 nm crystallite size is achieved after 20 hr milling by mechanically induced inter-diffusion of atoms. Moreover, changes in lattice parameters and lattice strain as a function of milling time is also studied. Change in morphology of particles with increasing milling time has been studied by SEM. In addition, d-spacing and diffraction planes obtained from analysis of HRTEM image and SAD pattern respectively corroborate with XRD results. Low coercivity indicated by hysteresis loop is suggestive of soft ferromagnetic behavior of the alloy powder.