Magnetic and Kinetical Properties of Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn Alloys Investigated by VSM and DSC

We report on the structural, thermal, and magnetic properties of thermally induced martensite in Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloys. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques were employed in the present research. SEM observations revealed the lath martensite morphology formation in both Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloys. As well, the thermally induced martensite start temperature (Ms) was determined to be − 27.18 °C for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and − 40.63 °C for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloy from DSC measurements. Further, the Curie temperature was detected at 160 K for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and 196 K for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloys after VSM measurements where magnetic saturation values were measured at 20 emu g− 1 for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn alloy and 18 emu g− 1 for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloy, respectively. The coercivity value of the alloys was also found to be 0.082 kOe for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn and 0.050 kOe for Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn-2%Zn alloys. Finally, the effect of Zn addition to the austenite–martensite phase tarnsformations of Fe-27%Ni-4%Mn was discussed in detail according to structural, thermal, and magnetic properties of both alloys after a quantitative experimental comparison.