Cost-effective synthesis and characterization of Fe2AlB2 MAB phase

The Fe2AlB2 MAB phase features a nanolaminated structure and is notable for its near-room temperature magnetocaloric effect. Fe2AlB2 has promising properties but is usually synthesized from costly pure elements. Using cheaper metal oxides is largely unexplored, offering a new route. This work synthesizes Fe2AlB2 by combining self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) and vacuum arc melting (VAM). Fe2AlB2 and FeB phases were synthesized by SHS, an energy-efficient method. Before SHS, thermochemical modelling determined the starting molar amounts of the raw materials and predicted reaction propagation. To increase Fe2AlB2 concentration, two samples were prepared by adding 50 % and 100 % more aluminium (Al) than required, using the VAM technique. Samples were characterized by elemental, phase, microstructural analyses, and nanoindentation. Fe2AlB2 formed in both samples, with phase fractions of 47 wt% and 61 wt% for 50 % and 100 % Al addition, respectively, indicating that increased Al promotes Fe2AlB2 formation. Nanoindentation results for the Fe2AlB2 phase in the 100 % Al addition sample-hardness of 1249 +/- 23 Vickers (12.25 +/- 0.22 GPa) and Young's modulus of 284 +/- 17 GPa-were consistent with literature. This work provides a promising approach for the low-cost synthesis of Fe2AlB2.