Magnetic properties, electrical resistivity, hardness and microstructure have been studied for the Fe-Ta alloys containing less than 7%Ta. The alloys are water-quenched from various temperatures over the α-γ transformation point, cold-drawn by more than 50% reduction in area and then reheated at 400∼1000°C for less than 5 h.
The magnetic properties of those alloys depend remarkably on the reduction rate, reheating temperature and reheating time after solution treatment. An Fe-2.9%Ta alloy reheated at 700°C for 30 min after water-quenching from 1050°C and cold-drawing of 97.2% reduction exhibits the following excellent properties: magnetic induction at 8 kA/m B₈=1,78 T, residual induction B_r=1.59 T, coercive force H_c=0.95 kA/m, squareness ratio B_r⁄B₈=0.89 and squareness \sqrt(BH)_max⁄B_rH_c=0.92. The electrical resistivity and Vickers hardness of this alloy are 0.127 μΩ·m and 209, respectively.