Microstructure and magnetostrictive performance of NbC-doped<100>oriented Fe-Ga alloys

The<100>oriented Fe83Ga17 alloy rods with various NbC contents less than 1at%were prepared by the directional solidification method at a growth rate of 720 mm?h?1. Low NbC-content was found to affect the oriented grain growth and slightly improve the<100>ori-entation. Flat grain boundaries in the alloys with low NbC contents less than 0.2at%became greatly curved at higher NbC contents, and a large amount of Nb-rich precipitates were observed in the alloys with high NbC contents. Small amounts of NbC, less than 0.2at%, resulted in an increase in magnetostrictive strain due to the improvement of the<100>orientation, and a high magnetostrictive strain value of 335 × 10?6 under a pre-stress of 15 MPa was obtained in the 0.1at%NbC-doped alloys. The magnetostrictive performance obviously decreased with the NbC addition higher than 0.5at%, and the strain sensitivity under no pre-stress was lower than that in the binary Fe?Ga alloy.