Dynamic annealing method for optimizing the magnetic properties of amorphous metals

Claim 1

A method for forming a substantially stress-free discrete body, said body being in the form of a plurality of layers of a continuous length of a ribbon-like body of amorphous metallic alloy, comprising the steps of: (1) traversing a single thickness of said ribbon-like body across at least one forming means to form each predetermined increment of said ribbon-like body to substantially the same configuration it is to have in the completed discrete body; (2) heating the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body while in contact with said forming means to the highest peak temperature at the most rapid heating rate attainable subject to the proviso that substantially no crystallization is induced in said ribbon-like body in the time required during this heating step to reduce the stresses in said material by at least 90% of the stresses present in said amorphous material immediately prior to initiation of said heating; (3) rapidly cooling the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body at a rate of at least about 100° C./min while in contact with said forming means; and (4)thereafter wrapping said ribbon-like body about itself layer upon layer thereby forming said discrete body.

Claim 2

A method for forming a substantially stress-free discrete body, said body being in the form of a plurality of layers of a continuous length of a ribbon-like body of amorphous metallic alloy, comprising the steps of: (1) traversing a single thickness of said ribbon-like body across at least one forming means to form each predetermined increment of said ribbon-like body to substantially the same configuration it is to have in the completed discrete body; (2) heating the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body while in contact with said forming means to the highest peak temperature at the most rapid heating rate attainable subject to the proviso that substantially no crystallization is induced in said ribbon-like body in the time required during this heating step to reduce the stresses in said material by at least 90% of the stresses present in said amorphous material immediately prior to initiation of said heating; (3) rapidly cooling the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body at a rate of at least about 100° C./min while in contact with said forming means; and (4)thereafter wrapping said ribbon-like body about itself layer upon layer thereby forming said discrete body.

Claim 11

A method for forming a substantially stress-free discrete body, said body being in the form of a plurality of layers of a continuous length of a ribbon-like body of amorphous metallic alloy, comprising the steps of: (1) traversing a single thickness of said ribbon-like body across at least one forming means to form each predetermined increment of said ribbon-like body to substantially the same configuration it is to have in the completed discrete body; (2) heating the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body while in contact with said forming means to the highest peak temperature attainable at a rate greater than about 300° C./min subject to the proviso that substantially no crystallization is induced in said ribbon-like body in the time required during this heating step to reduce the stresses in said material by at least 90% of the stresses present in said amorphous material immediately prior to initiation of said heating; (3) rapidly cooling the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body at a rate of at least about 100° C./min while in contact with said forming means; and (4) thereafter wrapping said ribbon-like body about itself layer upon layer thereby forming said discrete body.

Claim 12

A method for forming a substantially stress-free discrete body, said body being in the form of a plurality of layers of a continuous length of a ribbon-like body of amorphous metallic alloy, comprising the steps of: (1) traversing a single thickness of said ribbon-like body across at least one forming means to form each predetermined increment of said ribbon-like body to substantially the same configuration it is to have in the completed discrete body; (2) heating the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body while in contact with said forming means to the highest peak temperature attainable at a rate greater than about 300° C./min subject to the proviso that substantially no crystallization is induced in said ribbon-like body in the time required during this heating step to reduce the stresses in said material by at least 90% of the stresses present in said amorphous material immediately prior to initiation of said heating; (3) rapidly cooling the formed single thickness of said ribbon-like body at a rate of at least about 100° C./min while in contact with said forming means; and (4) thereafter wrapping said ribbon-like body about itself layer upon layer thereby forming said discrete body.