Fe100-xSmx thin films and Fe80-xSmxB20 both as thin films and ribbons, with x < 30, were studied. One important result was that in Fe-Sm-B thin films, contrary to ribbons and Fe-Sm thin films, the Fe and Sm moments couple antiferromagnetically. The magnetic results were correlated with Mossbauer data and compared with Fe-Gd alloys.

The influence of Gd addition on the structural properties of Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B nanocrystallized and amorphous alloys is studied. The crystallization temperature increases and the microstructure of the annealed samples changes. Gd addition induces the formation of Gd-Fe-B phases. In fully crystallized Fe-Gd-Cu-Nb-Si-B alloys the alpha-Fe(Si), Fe-Nb-B, Gd3Fe62B14 and Gd1.1Fe4B4 phases are observed. The evolution of the microstructure is followed as a function

Samples obtained from the hot conditioning and hot performance procedures have been investigated by GEMS. Various types of substrates were considered. The surface phases were assigned to magnetite, alpha-Fe, wustite and to spinel solid solutions. The data have been analyzed taking into account the compound stoichiometry, the number of iron unequivalent positions appeared in each identified phase and the relative ratio of the formed products.

A Mossbauer and magnetic study of FeRh has been undertaken in order to understand better the remarkable properties of both melt-spun BCC and ball-milled FCC-phases of the anti-invar FeRh alloy.

The magnetic properties of the amorphous and nanocrystallized Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B and Fe-Gd-Cu-Nb-Si-B ribbons are studied using temperature dependence of the specific magnetization. A two-phase ferromagnetic behaviour is obtained for the magnetization curves. Gd addition tends to stabilize the interfacial (grain boundary) phase by forming a metastable Gd-Fe-B phase, leading to the coexistence of two phases up to thermal treatments as high as 993K.

Crystallized Fe-(Cu)-Sm-B ribbons were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and Mossbauer spectrometry. The bcc alpha-Fe, tetragonal Fe3B and tetragonal Fe2B phases were found to crystallize after appropriate annealing. The relative proportion of alpha-Fe decreases with increasing Sm content, in agreement with the increase of the crystallization point. The metastable Fe3B phase decomposition into alpha-Fe

Melt-spun Cu80Co10Fe10 ribbons are shown to exhibit a nanogranular structure with magnetic alpha-Fe(Co) grains segregated from the Cu-rich matrix after appropriate annealing. The Cu matrix purification as well as the magnetic properties of the alpha-Fe(Co) grains existing in a range of sizes are studied using X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectrometry and magnetic measurements. There is an optimum annealing for obtaining a high magnetoresistive effect.

Structural and magnetic properties of melt-spun Cu-Co-(Fe-Si) ribbons, as-quenched and after appropriate annealing, are investigated and correlated with their magnetoresistive properties. The effect of structural refinement of the magnetic phases and of the coexistence of multiple magnetic phases on the magnetoresistance is discussed. The existence of an optimum in the annealing conditions for obtaining a significant magnetoresistive effect, is inferred.

The magnetic interactions between the nanograins in heterogeneous granular Cu-(SmCo5)-Fe ribbons were evaluated with a classical mean field model to obtain the exchange coupling as well as the magnetic moment per nanoparticle. The samples were subjected to various thermal treatments and a significant magnetoresistive effect was obtained when the optimal annealing conditions had been achieved.

The magnetic properties of interfacial regions between ferromagnetic nanograins and the residual matrix in nanocrystalline materials, are modelled using Monte Carlo simulation. The exchange coupling between matrix and nanograin influences differently the nanograin surface and the interface between nanograin and matrix. This behaviour has been explained in terms of a polarisation mechanism of the interfacial zones leading to magnetic correlation between