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The present work investigates how the substitution of Ni for Fe in the amorphous precursor of the high flux density Fe–Si–B–P–Cu (Nanomet®) alloy avoids the creation of detrimental pre-existing nuclei in the amorphous precursor as a step forward for improved amorphization capability, retains homogenous nanocrystalline structure with excellent soft magnetic properties, and affects the mechanical properties in terms of reduced hardness and Young's modulus. This has been achieved by adding Ni of various concentrations (0–8 atomic %). The investigation includes structural characterization, calorimetry, optimization of annealing temperature, extensive magnetic characterization and nanoindentation to assess the mechanical properties. The excellent soft magnetic properties demonstrate a strategy to deploy the nanocrystalline ribbons where freedom of device design is a limiting factor for electrodynamic energy conversion applications., Correction in:Journal Of Alloys And CompoundsVolume:878; Article Number 160527; DOI10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.160527;Accession Number WOS:000660479000005

QC 20210629

This study demonstrates how multi-alloying the Fe-Si–B–P–Cu (Nanomet®) can avoid the strict requirements on the annealing scheme in terms of high heating rate and narrow annealing temperature range in order to grow a homogeneous ultrafine nanocrystalline structure. The rather restricted amorphization capability sets a low limit of the maximum thickness of the amorphous precursor. These shortcomings have their origin in the existence of detrimental pre-existing nuclei in the amorphous precursors, which in turn potentially lead to a heterogeneous crystallization. Here, we have multialloyed Nanomet with CoCNi- and CoCMo- to avoid the creation of these pre-existing nuclei. This leads to improved amorphization capability and changes a potentially heterogeneous crystallization to a homogeneous nanocrystallization over a much broader temperature range than for unalloyed Nanomet. Thus, the requirements for the annealing are much relaxed. This work encompasses quenching the amorphous precursors using melt-spinning, investigating the crystallization temperatures by calorimetry, showing the depletion of pre-existing nuclei by magneto-thermo-gravimetry, conceptualizing the crystallization dynamics using isothermal calorimetry, and finally revealing the excellent soft magnetic properties over a broad annealing temperature interval (390–490 °C for the substituted alloys compared to 410–470 °C for unalloyed Nanomet). The multi-elemental substitution of Fe with CoCMo and CoCNi in Nanomet alloy nearly maintains the saturation magnetization and the coercivity. We believe the substituted alloys provide a better alternative to Nanomet with improved amorphization capability and homogeneous nanocrystallization without any special heat treatment scheme. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.], QC 20211215