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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Nanocrystalline stoichiometric FeCo powders were prepared by mechanically alloying elemental Fe and Co powders using a high-energy ball mill. The microstructural evolution was studied as a function of milling time and subsequent annealing using X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry. The magnetic behavior of the specimens was characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer and a magnetic force microscope. A reduction in grain size coupled with an increase in coercivity was observed as function of milling time. The smallest grain size of 4 nm, which exhibited a coercivity of 122 Oe and magnetization of 2 T at room temperature, was obtained after 240 h of milling. The reduction in grain size during milling was not accompanied by enhanced soft magnetic properties.