| Issue |
MATEC Web Conf.
Volume 417, 2025
2025 RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-AMI Conference: Bridging the Gap between Industry & Academia - The 26th Annual International RAPDASA Conference, joined by RobMech, PRASA and AMI, co-hosted by CSIR and Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria
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| Article Number | 03002 | |
| Number of page(s) | 8 | |
| Section | Materials Engineering | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202541703002 | |
| Published online | 25 November 2025 | |
The effect of heat treatment on the metallurgical properties of FeCo alloy
1 Advanced Materials Division, MINTEK, Private bag X 3015, Randburg, 2125, South Africa
2 Materials Modelling Centre, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X 1106, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa
* Corresponding author: ram@mintek.co.za
Fe-Co alloys, in particular B2 FeCo, are considered attractive soft materials due to their superior properties, particularly their high saturation magnetization and mechanical strength in applications such as electricity powerlines, aerospace and automotive industries. Despite its application potential, B2 FeCo alloy is characterized by limited ductility at room temperature. In this study, the effect of heat treatment on the constituent phases, microstructures and micro-Vickers hardness of FeCo alloy is investigated. Phase and microstructural evolution were tracked using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and optical microscope (OM), respectively. The X-ray analysis of the as-cast condition (AC) and furnace cooling (FC) displayed α’-B2 phase peaks with traces of α phase while ice-water quenched (WQ) at 750 °C and 1000 °C showed only α phase. OM of WQ at 750 °C samples showed wide equiaxed α’ grains, while the AC, WQ (1000 °C) and FC demonstrated finer grains inside and around the grain boundaries. Other metallurgical analyses carried out include micro-Vicker hardness tests, from which the WQ (1200 °C) sample demonstrated the highest hardness value as compared to both AC and FC samples.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2025
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