Synthesis and Compositional Analysis of Permalloy Powder Prepared by Arc-Discharge

We report the synthesis, compositional, structural and magnetic properties of permalloy powders prepared using an arc-discharge method under different atmospheres. Ion beam analysis results showed that powder prepared in air had a higher concentration of oxygen than those prepared under nitrogen or argon atmospheres. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that powders prepared in air contained magnetite (Fe3O4) and other phases, while powders prepared under nitrogen or argon predominately contained permalloy. The permalloy powders contained a broad range of particle sizes, and nanoparticles as small as 10 nm were evident from transmission electron microscopy data. The saturation magnetizations were significantly lower for the powders prepared in air than those prepared under nitrogen or argon. This can be attributed to oxidation, where the saturation magnetization is predominately from Fe3O4 for powders made in air. The coercive fields were also significantly larger for powders prepared in air, which is consistent with the powders containing different phases when compared with the permalloy powders. Our results show that permalloy powders can be made in nitrogen and argon, allowing for the production of low oxygen content permalloy powders for device applications. Our results also suggest that the use of an iron anode could result in Fe3O4 powders.