Effect of Si addition on the corrosion properties of amorphous Fe-based soft magnetic alloys

Effects of an addition of Si and P into amorphous Fe85.2B14Cu0.8 based soft magnetic alloys were investigated in boric-borate buffer solution. The addition of P decreased the passive current density effectively. Substituting Si for P in Fe85.2SixB9P5 − xCu0.8 (x = 0, 1, 2 at.%) alloys further improved corrosion resistance. After the removal of the oxide films, the passive current density was higher than those covered by the oxide films. The lowest passive current density was observed at 5 × 10− 6 A/cm2 on the Fe85.2Si1B9P4Cu0.8 alloy. On the other hand, the pitting potential of the alloys before and after removal of the oxide films was as high as about 0.96 V and was independent of chemical composition of the alloys. The addition of Si and P could enhance the corrosion resistance of Fe85.2SixB9P5 − xCu0.8 alloys via modification of the chemical composition of the oxide films. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that the addition of Si suppressed the formation rate of bivalent Fe species, which slows down reaction rates of this rate-determining step.