As cast precipitation microstructures in twin-roller melt-spun Cu{sub 90}Co{sub 10} alloys
As cast Cu{sub 90}Co{sub 10} ribbons rapidly solidified by twin-roller melt spinning, exhibit special microstructure features. This processing method provides scenarios where a different phase selection takes place; coherent Co precipitates form directly from solidification, with neither a spinodal-like composition oscillation nor a discontinuously precipitated laminar phase. Samples are processed at tangential wheel speeds of 10 m/s (V10), 15 m/s (V15), 20 m/s (V20) and 30 m/s (V30). Microstructures resulting from this single step process are characterized and the hysteresis properties and the magnetoresistance effects evaluated. Samples V30 have a quite uniform density of coherent precipitates, with a narrow size distribution around 4 nm. On contrary, non-uniform precipitate distributions are found in samples cooled at lower rates; zones with a high density of coherent Co-rich precipitates are found forming colonies. These colonies are consistent with the extended compositional fluctuations occurring during very early stages in the cooling process. Samples may exhibit wide (V10) and even bimodal (V15) size distributions. Only samples V30 behave close to the ideal superparamagnetism. Samples V20 present relatively large coercivity and relative remanence and behave as an interacting superparamagnet, while the hysteresis loops of ribbons cooled at lower rates exhibit a ferromagnetic contribution in addition to the superparamagnetic-like one. This ferromagnetic component arises from blocked precipitates, larger than the upper bound size for superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K (12 nm). Room temperature magnetoresistance values associated to granular scattering units decrease as the mean precipitate size increases, but they remain below 2%, which is lower than that measured in samples annealed after rapid solidification, indicating that in this latter case contributions from the spinodally segregated matrix take place in addition to that of Co granules. - Highlights: •Microstructures of twin-rolled Cu{sub 90}Cu{sub 10} alloys are for the first time characterized. •Coherent Co-rich precipitates distribute forming dense colonies inside the grains. •No coexisting multilayer-like structures (spinodal or laminar phases) are detected. •Magnetic hysteresis arises from inter-particle interaction in these dense colonies. •Magnetoresistance level in these purely granular systems is low (1.6% at 300 K).