Abstract: The nanocrystalline structure of annealed Fe73.5 Cu1 W3Si13.5B9 alloy has been investigated by using the XRD and the TEM methods. The relation between the initial permeability and the microstructure of the annealed alloy has been discussed. The crystalline phase in annealed Fe73.5 Cu1 W3Si13.5B9 alloy is the α-Fe(Si) phase with DO3 superstructure. The volume fraction, Si content and degree of order of the αFe(Si) phase increase with increasing annealing temperature. In the temperature range of 490-570℃, the α-Fe(Si) phase has a size of 13 nm, and its grain number increases as the annealing temperature is increased. The DO3 ordered region in the α-Fe(Si) grain is spherical approximately, and its size increases as the annealing temperature increases. The size of the DO3 ordered region is 12.8 nm at the temperature of 570℃,which is close to that of the α-Fe(Si) grain. There is obvious change in the structure of the residual amorphous phase during annealing, and the nearest atomic distance and the short-range order of residual amorphous phase reach maximum and minimum at 530℃, respectively. The initial permeability of annealed Fe73.5 Cu1 W3Si13.5 B9 alloy is not only dependent on the size, volume fraction and Si content of the α-Fe(Si) phase but also related to the structure state of the residual amorphous phase.

Key words: Fe_(73.5)Cu_1 W_3Si_(13.5)B_9 alloy, nanocrystalline, degree of order, amorphous phase, initial permeability