MAGNETIC AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RARE-EARTH TERNARY CARBIDES DERIVED FROM R2FE17 COMPOUNDS

We have studied the magnetic properties of the rhombohedral R2Fe17C compounds with R = Ce, Pr, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho or Y and the hexagonal R2Fe17C compounds with R = Er, Tm or Lu. For all compounds the lattice parameters were determined. The Curie temperatures were found to be considerably enhanced with respect to the C-free counterparts. The magnetic anisotropy of the R2Fe17C compounds was studied on magnetically aligned powders in field strengths up to 35 T. The rare-earth sublattice anisotropy is much stronger in R2Fe17C than in R2Fe17, leading to an easy c-axis anisotropy in Sm2Fe17C even at room temperature. The Curie temperatures and the high field data obtained at 4.2 K were analysed in terms of a mean field model. © 1990.