Pressure-induced preferential growth of nanocrystals in amorphous Nd9Fe85B6

Control over the growth and crystallographic orientation of nanocrystals in amorphous alloys is of particular importance for the development of advanced nanocrystalline materials. In the present study, Nd(2)Fe(14)B nanocrystals with a strong crystallographic texture along the [410] direction have been produced in Nd-lean amorphous Nd(9)Fe(85)B(6) under a high pressure of 6 GPa at 923 K. This is attributed to the high pressure inducing the preferential growth of Nd(2)Fe(14)B nanocrystals in the alloy. The present study demonstrates the potential application of high-pressure technology in controlling nanocrystalline orientation in amorphous alloys.