Development and characterization of Fe70Pd30 ferromagnetic shape memory splats

Freestanding Fe70Pd30 foils with a thickness of about 60 pm were fabricated using the splat-quenching technique. A shift of the martensitic transformation temperatures as a function of different annealing treatments (600 degrees C, 700 degrees C, 800 degrees C, 900 degrees C, 1000 degrees C for 15 min) was observed by temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction (XRD), resistance and magnetization measurements. The sample annealed at 800 degrees C showed the highest degree of crystallinity for the (200) fcc austenite peak and no secondary phases. Samples annealed below 800 degrees C kept austenite remainders even at -25 degrees C. The transformation temperatures, determined by all three-measurement methods, showed an increase with increasing annealing temperature. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.