We report electron microprobe measurements of the diffusion profile in
partially nitrided samples of the Fe17Nd2 phase. The results are full
y consistent with a step-like profile. This confirms that the nitrogen
ation process is one of precipitating a fully nitrided phase from a ni
trogen-free phase. We report also x-ray diffraction patterns for the p
artially nitrided samples as a superposition of the pure and nitrided
patterns, with displacements and broadenings of lines due to mutual st
resses between the phases.