Phase equilibria in the Fe–Co binary system Original Research Article

α (A2)/γ (A1) phase equilibria of the Fe–Co system between 400 and 800°C were determined by means of lattice parameter measurement using thin film specimens. Bulk specimens were also analyzed to compare the extent of attainment to the equilibrium. The thin film technique was found to be greatly advantageous for obtaining the phase equilibria at lower temperatures where solid-state reactions are too slow to reach the equilibrium state in the conventional methods using bulk specimens. It was confirmed that the α+γ two-phase region extends below the temperature at which the α (A2)/α′ (B2) transus meets the α/α+γ boundary. Thermodynamic analysis was also conducted by taking the magnetic and chemical ordering contributions of the B2 structure into account, findings of which confirmed the extension of the α+γ two-phase region below the α/α′ ordering temperature.