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In order to develop Fe-based nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys with high saturation magnetic flux density (B s ) and good manufacturability, the effect of the Nb content on the thermal stability, microstructural evolution and soft magnetic properties of Fe 78Àx Si 13 B 8 Nb x Cu 1 (x = 0, 1, 2 and 3) alloys were investigated. It is found that proper Nb addition is effective in widening the optimum annealing temperature range and refining the a-Fe grain in addition to enhancing the soft magnetic properties. For the representative Fe 76 Si 13 B 8 Nb 2 Cu 1 alloy, the effective annealing time can be over 60 min in the optimal temperature range of 500-600°C. FeSiBNbCu nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys with desirable soft magnetic properties including high B s of 1.39 T, low coercivity (H c ) of 1.5 A/m and high effective permeability (l e ) of 21,500 at 1 kHz have been developed. The enhanced soft magnetic performance and manufacturability of the FeSiBNbCu nanocrystalline alloys are attributed to the high activated energy for the precipitation of a-Fe(Si) and the second phase. These alloys with excellent performance have promising applications in electromagnetic fields like inductors.

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