MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF A NEW SERIES OF RARE-EARTH IRON NITRIDES R(3)(FE,MO)(29)N-X (R=CE, ND, SM, GD, TB, DY OR Y)

A series of interstitial nitrides R(3)(Fe, Mo)(29)N-x with 3.7 less th an or equal to x less than or equal to 4.0 has been prepared for R = C e, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy or Y. The nitrides have structures related to Nd -3(Fe,Ti)(29), but the unit-cell volumes are 4.7-6.6% greater and the magnetic ordering temperatures some 224-361 K higher than those of the R(3) (Fe, Mo)(29) parent compounds, and the saturation magnetizations Ms are also higher than those of the corresponding parent compounds. All compounds investigated exhibit easy-plane anisotropy at room tempe rature, except for Sm-3(Fe, Mo)(29)N-x which is of an easy-axis nature .