NEUTRON-DIFFRACTION AND MAGNETIC STUDIES OF RFE(12-X)T(X)C(Y) (R=Y,ER- T=V,TI,MO) ALLOYS

RFe(12-x)T(x)C(y) (R = Y,Er; T = V,Ti,Mo) alloys were prepared by rf i nduction melting and analyzed using neutron powder diffraction and sup erconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements. Rietvel d analysis of the neutron diffraction data indicates that V, Ti, and M o atoms all prefer the 8i sites. The refined amount of carbon atoms fo und in the interstitial sites from neutron diffraction data is signifi cantly less than the nominal carbon content. All samples have the easy direction along the c axis. The Er sublattice couples to the Fe subla ttice antiferromagnetically. The average Fe site moments range from 1. 3 to 2.8 mu(B). The anisotropies of the crystal structures are found t o relate to both the rare earth atoms and the stabilizing transition m etal atoms. The SQUID measurements show that all samples have a Curie temperature near 600 K. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.