STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF RFE10V2NX COMPOUNDS

In this paper a systematic study is undertaken of the structure and magnetic properties of RFe10V2 nitrides using X-ray diffraction, thermomagnetic analysis, SQUID magnetometry and neutron diffraction. The RFe10V2Nx compounds were prepared by heat-treating fine powders of single-phase RFe10V2 alloys in N2 gas. These studies showed that the interstitial nitrogen atoms expand the crystal lattice of ThMn12-type crystal structure, resulting in a substantial increase of Curie temperature. The average increase of Curie temperature across the series is about 200 K. The absorption of nitrogen also introduces a significant change in the magnetocrystalline anisotropy from "weak uniaxial"-type to "strong uniaxial"-type for NdFe10V2Nx and from "uniaxial" to "planar" in SmFe10V2Nx).