Rapid multiple property determination from bulk materials libraries prepared from chemically synthesized powders

A variety of high-performance materials are utilized in electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems. Such systems account for a significant fraction of the world’s electricity consumption. The next generation of such systems urgently require new material compositions which possess a better combination of both structural and functional properties. Only accelerated methodologies can rapidly determine the required multiple property set. Hence, a range of iron–cobalt–nickel ternary alloy composition powders were chemically synthesized. Compositionally graded bulk materials libraries were prepared by spark plasma sintering of these powders. A multiple property set of the crystal structure, magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties were determined for a range of compositions. This property set revealed that a good combination of magnetic and mechanical properties can be obtained from Fe₅₀Co₄₀Ni₁₀, high electrical resistivity from Fe₅₄Co₁₇Ni₂₉ and high saturation magnetization as well as high hardness from Fe₅₇Co₂₉Ni₁₄. Thus, this multiple property library, developed by accelerated methodologies, can be utilized to identify new ternary compositions satisfying diverse property sets relevant to next generation systems.