Abstract

The phase constitution, morphology and magnetic properties were investigated in glass-coated microwires of the Cu-Ga-Mn ternary system produced by the Taylor-Ulitovsky method. The composition determined by energy dispersive X-ray EDS microanalysis was Cu56Ga28Mn16. Samples were studied in the as-cast state and after annealing at 100 degrees C during 30 minutes. The low-field temperature dependence of magnetization showed the co-existence of two ferromagnetic phases in both, as-cast and annealed samples that persisted after annealing. The Curie temperature of major phase is 125 K, while for the second phase is above room temperature. Hysteresis loops measured at 50 K and 350 K, underlined the ferromagnetic character of both phases, while coercive field,,decreases with annealing more at low temperature than at 350 K [as-cast wire: H-C = 387 Oe (50 K) and 40 Oe (350 K); annealed wire: H-C = 225 Oe (50 K) and 35 Oe (350 K)]. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim