journal article·2026-05-02Open access

Synergistic Effects of Nb and Co on the Structural Evolution and Magnetic Hardening of a Multi-Component Al82Fe12Cu2Nb2Co2 Amorphous Alloy

Oanh Nguyen Thi Nguyen, Mai Dinh Dinh, Viet Nguyen Nguyen

Applied Sciences· Volume 16· Issue 9

Abstract

This research investigates the formation of an amorphous phase in a non-equiatomic aluminum-based alloy, Al82Fe12Cu2Nb2Co2, synthesized via mechanical alloying. By utilizing minor additions of Nb, Co, and Cu, structural stability and “chemical complexity” effects are achieved in a matrix dominated by a single element (82% Al). Thermodynamic analysis reveals that a moderately negative mixing enthalpy (ΔHmix = −6.89 kJ/mol) and elevated configurational entropy (ΔSmix = 5.420 J/mol·K) are the primary thermodynamic drivers of amorphization, supplemented by a transitional-regime atomic size mismatch (δ = 4.82%). The evolution of the structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of mechanically alloyed amorphous Al82Fe12Cu2Nb2Co2 as a function of milling time was systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and a vibrating sample magnetometer.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Metallic Glasses and Amorphous Alloys · Quasicrystal Structures and Properties · Microstructure and mechanical properties

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No 1 Dai Co Viet, Bach Mai, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

Funding

Ministry of Education and Training

References (54)

Show source-provided references
1. Advances in Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum-Based Amorphous Alloys: A Review10.1002/adem.202301150 ↗
2. Amorphous, nanoquasicrystalline and nanocrystalline alloys in Al-based systems10.1016/S0079-6425(98)00005-X ↗
3. Development and Applications of Highly Functional Al-based Materials by Use of Metastable Phases10.1590/1516-1439.058815 ↗
4. Łach, Ł. (2025). Phase Stability and Transitions in High-Entropy Alloys: Insights from Lattice Gas Models, Computational Simulations, and Experimental Validation. Entropy, 27.10.3390/e27050464 ↗
5. Buschow, K.H.J., Cahn, R.W., Flemings, M.C., Ilschner, B., Kramer, E.J., Mahajan, S., and Veyssière, P. (2010). Bulk Metallic Glasses: Formation and Applications. Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology, Elsevier.
6. Classification of Bulk Metallic Glasses by Atomic Size Difference, Heat of Mixing and Period of Constituent Elements and Its Application to Characterization of the Main Alloying Element10.2320/matertrans.46.2817 ↗
7. Suryanarayana, C., and Inoue, A. (2012). Metallic Glasses. Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley.10.1002/14356007.a16_335.pub2 ↗
8. Miller, M.K., and Liaw, P. (2008). Bulk Metallic Glasses, Springer.10.1007/978-0-387-48921-6 ↗
9. Bulk metallic glasses10.1016/j.mser.2004.03.001 ↗
10. Amorphous aluminum alloys—Synthesis and stability10.1007/BF02822618 ↗
11. Combinatorial measurement of critical cooling rates in aluminum-base metallic glass forming alloys10.1038/s41598-021-83384-w ↗
12. Mechanical alloying: A critical review10.1080/21663831.2022.2075243 ↗
13. El-Eskandarany, M.S. (2020). Mechanical Alloying: Energy Storage, Protective Coatings, and Medical Applications, William Andrew. [3rd ed.].
14. Mechanical Alloying: A Novel Technique to Synthesize Advanced Materials10.34133/2019/4219812 ↗
15. Structural Transition and Magnetic Property of Quasicrystalline Phases in Al–Cu–Fe–Cr Prepared by Mechanical Alloying and Heat Treatment10.1007/s11661-024-07652-w ↗
16. Oanh, N.T.H., An, D.T., and Viet, N.H. (2024). Nanocrystalline/Amorphous Tuning of Al–Fe–Nb (Mn) Alloy Powders Produced via High-Energy Ball Milling. Materials, 17.10.3390/ma17225627 ↗
17. Synthesis and magnetic properties of Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystals prepared by mechanical alloying and heat treatment10.1557/s43578-022-00846-1 ↗
18. High-entropy alloys by mechanical alloying: A review10.1557/jmr.2019.37 ↗
19. Mechanical alloying and milling10.1016/S0079-6425(99)00010-9 ↗
20. The Glassy Structure Formation and Phase Evolution in Mechanically Alloyed and Spark Plasma-Sintered Al-TM-RE Alloys10.1007/s11665-019-04505-1 ↗
21. Al-La-Ni-Fe bulk metallic glasses produced by mechanical alloying and spark-plasma sintering10.1016/j.msea.2006.02.264 ↗
22. Le Godec, Y., and Le Floch, S. (2023). Recent Developments of High-Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering: An Overview of Current Applications, Challenges and Future Directions. Materials, 16.10.3390/ma16030997 ↗
23. Özer, F., Temiz, C., and Çağlar, S. (2026). Optimization of Microstructural, Mechanical, and Corrosion Properties of AlFeCuTiNi High-Entropy Alloy: The Influence of Mechanical Alloying Time and Sintering Temperature. Sustainability, 18.10.3390/su18063029 ↗
24. Thermal Stability of Amorphous Al-Fe-Y Prepared by Mechanical Alloying
25. Laughlin, D.E., and Hono, K. (2014). 27—Computational Metallurgy. Physical Metallurgy, Elsevier. [5th ed.].
26. The Role of Configurational Entropy in Amorphous Systems10.3390/pharmaceutics2020224 ↗
27. Development of high entropy alloys (HEAs): Current trends10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26464 ↗
28. Recent progress on the development of high entropy alloys (HEAs) for solid hydrogen storage: A review10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.01.141 ↗
29. Zhang, Y., Ji, Y., and Zhang, Y. (2026). Recent Progress in High-Entropy Alloys: An Overview of Preparation Processes, Properties, and Applications. Metals, 16.10.3390/met16020211 ↗
30. Caramarin, S., Badea, I.-C., Mosinoiu, L.-F., Mitrica, D., Serban, B.-A., Vitan, N., Cursaru, L.-M., and Pogrebnjak, A. (2024). Structural Particularities, Prediction, and Synthesis Methods in High-Entropy Alloys. Appl. Sci., 14.10.3390/app14177576 ↗
31. Confusion by design10.1038/366303a0 ↗
32. Milling and Hot Consolidation of Al-Fe-Nb Alloy10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.416-418.287 ↗
33. Microstructural development in equiatomic multicomponent alloys10.1016/j.msea.2003.10.257 ↗
34. Structural characterization and magnetic properties of Al82Fe16TM2 (TM: Ti, Ni, Cu) alloys prepared by mechanical alloying10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2017.04.037 ↗
35. Miedema Calculator: A thermodynamic platform for predicting formation enthalpies of alloys within framework of Miedema’s Theory10.1016/j.cpc.2016.08.013 ↗
36. The electronegativity parameter for transition metals: Heat of formation and charge transfer in alloys10.1016/0022-5088(73)90078-7 ↗
37. Prediction of high-entropy stabilized solid-solution in multi-component alloys10.1016/j.matchemphys.2011.11.021 ↗
38. The efficient cluster packing model—An atomic structural model for metallic glasses10.1016/j.actamat.2006.06.002 ↗
39. Nanocrystalline and amorphous Al–Fe alloys containing 60–85% of Al synthesised by mechanical alloying and phase transformations induced by heating of milling products10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.05.003 ↗
40. Lü, L., and Lai, M.O. (1998). Mechanical Alloying, Springer.10.1007/978-1-4615-5509-4 ↗
41. El-Eskandarany, S. (2015). Mechanical Alloying, Second Edition: Nanotechnology, Materials Science and Powder Metallurgy, Elsevier.
42. Synthesis of gamma alumina from Kankara kaolin using a novel technique10.1016/j.clay.2014.11.041 ↗
43. Experimental and ab initio infrared study of χ-, κ- and α-aluminas formed from gibbsite10.1016/j.jssc.2010.02.010 ↗
44. Al-O infrared vibrational frequencies of γ-alumina10.1016/0167-577X(94)00234-7 ↗
45. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique for analysis of inorganic materials: A review10.1039/D5NA00522A ↗
46. Quantitative analysis of iron oxides using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry10.1016/j.corsci.2008.06.034 ↗
47. Calvo-Villoslada, A., Álvarez-Serrano, I., López, M.L., Fernández, P., and Sotillo, B. (2025). Phase-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of Nb2O5 Nanomaterials for Rhodamine B Degradation: The Role of Surface Chemistry and Crystal Structure. Nanomaterials, 15.10.3390/nano15110846 ↗
48. Influence of process control agent on interdiffusion between Al and Mg during mechanical alloying10.1016/S0925-8388(99)00221-2 ↗
49. Influence of process control agents in the development of a metastable Fe–Zr based alloy10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2006.12.054 ↗
50. Effect of the Nb content on the amorphization process of the mechanically alloyed Fe–Co–Nb–B powders10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.02.061 ↗
51. Formation and characterization of amorphous–nanocrystalline Al80Fe10M10 [M=Fe, Nb, Ti, Ni, (Ni0.5Ti0.5)] alloys10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.11.038 ↗
52. Nanocrystalline materials for high temperature soft magnetic applications: A current prospectus10.1007/BF02749961 ↗
53. Development of Nanostructure Formation of Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 Alloy from Amorphous State on Heat Treatment10.4236/wjnse.2015.54013 ↗
54. The effect of Cr and Nb addition on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the mechanically alloyed high entropy FeCoNi alloys10.1007/s00339-022-05836-y ↗