Chemical Structure of Fe78B13Si9 Alloy Surface Layers in the Solid and Liquid States

The chemical structure of Fe78B13Si9 alloy in the solid and liquid states and local atomic environment are studied in situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The chemical bonds between elements in the melt are analyzed during a temperature increase. Two temperature regions are identified. The liquid surface in the first temperature region is shown to contain clusters of Fe-Si and (Fe-O x )-Si types. In the second one, clusters of Fe-B and (Fe-O x )-B types dominate. It is impossible to determine the composition of the clusters definitively using XPS data only. A jump-like change in the composition of the surface layers of the melt is detected, which is interpreted as structural transformations within the liquid state.