Effect of Ni–Co–Cr additions on the microstructural and magnetic field–induced radiation shielding behavior of Fe–Si–B alloys

Fe–Si–B–based amorphous metallic glasses were synthesized via powder metallurgy and arc melting, followed by alloying with 10 wt% Ni, Co, or Cr. The alloys were examined in both as-cast and heat-treated conditions to assess the combined influence of composition, thermal relaxation, and magnetic processing on their mechanical and radiation-shielding properties. Microstructural characterizations (XRD, SEM, EDS) confirmed homogeneous alloying and the presence of Fe2B, Fe0.91Si0.09, and Ni/Co/Cr-boride phases. After alloying and heat treatment, the average Vickers hardness increased from 313 HV (base Fe-Si-B) to 480 HV. All synthesized samples were exposed to a 1 T magnetic field, and their gamma-ray attenuation behavior was subsequently evaluated using a Ba-133 source (80.99–383.85 keV). After magnetic exposure, the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) increased by ≈ 3–4% for Co-doped alloys, ≈ 2% for Ni-doped and base Fe–Si–B alloys, and < 0.5% for Cr-doped alloys, accompanied by a corresponding reduction in half-value layer (HVL) from 1.86 cm to 1.79 cm. The fast-neutron removal cross-section (ΣR) also exhibited a modest rise (≈2%). These enhancements are attributed to field-induced microstructural relaxation, including domain alignment, internal-stress reduction, and partial free-volume collapse, which subtly modify the local electron-density distribution without altering the bulk composition. Overall, the findings demonstrate that Ni–Co–Cr alloying, combined with controlled magnetic-field exposure, offers an effective and non-destructive route to enhance both the mechanical durability and γ-ray/fast-neutron shielding performance of Fe-based amorphous alloys, highlighting their potential for magnetically tunable protective coatings and advanced smart-shielding applications. In some applications, both the magnetic properties and radiation shielding properties of the material used are important. This study investigates the effects of Ni, Co, and Cr on the magnetic properties of the Fe-Si-B alloy, while also demonstrating changes in radiation shielding properties.