FeSiAl soft magnetic composite with double Al2O3 insulation layers for simultaneous high mechanical and magnetic properties

FeSiAl-based soft magnetic composites (SMCs), prepared from insulated FeSiAl powders, are widely applied in electronic devices. However, it is still challenging to achieve high magnetic and mechanical properties simultaneously due to the undesirable insulation layer. Here, double Al2O3 insulation layers are prepared for FeSiAl SMC. Atomic-scale characterizations reveal an in-situ epitaxial Al2O3 layer at FeSiAl surface under the catalysis of NaAlO2, and an outer amorphous Al2O3 layer by subsequent NaAlO2 hydrolysis. The above structure ensures effective insulation of FeSiAl powders and excellent magnetic properties of the FeSiAl/NaAlO2 SMC, with permeability of 101 and power loss of 128 mW/cm3 (50 mT, 100 kHz) respectively. Moreover, in-situ Al2O3/amorphous Al2O3 on FeSiAl matrix also leads to distinguished crush strength of 36.5 MPa for the core sample, which is ascribed to the enhanced adhesion at different interfaces as evidenced by similar local oxygen coordination and low strain distribution. This work provides a novel method to fabricate high-performance FeSiAl SMCs.