EFFECTS OF AL SUBSTITUTIONS ON THE MAGNETIC-ANISOTROPY OF SM2FE17 COMPOUNDS

Compounds in the series Sm2Fe17-xAlx have been investigated. Samples w ith x = 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been shown to be single phased With the Th2Zn17 StruCture. The Curie temperature is found to increase from T(C ) = 391 K for the x = 0 sample to T(C) = 471 K for the x = 3 sample. F urther substitution of Al for Fe decrease T(C). X-ray diffraction stud ies of magnetic-field-oriented powders showed that alloys with x < 2 e xhibit easy plane anisotropy while samples with x > 2 exhibit easy axi s anisotropy. The x = 2 sample showed a mixture of easy plane and easy axis behaviour. This observation represents the first case of clear e vidence for room temperature uniaxial anisotropy in the R2Fe17 compoun ds without the addition of interstitial nitrogen or carbon.