STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF RARE-EARTH IRON NITRIDE CE2(FE1-XCOX)17NY SERIES

The ternary nitrides Ce2(Fe1-xCox)17Ny have been studied to determine the effect of nitrogenation on their crystal structure and magnetic pr operties. X-ray diffraction results show that the nitrides retain the rhombohedral Th2Zn17 structure of their parent compounds, but with an expansion in the unit cell volume. For x>0.6, no Th2Zn17-type nitride compounds are formed. The room temperature saturation magnetization of nitrides is greater than that of the parent compounds for low Co conc entrations. The 3d sublattice anisotropy is modified upon nitrogenatio n; the transition from easy plane to easy axis shifts from x almost-eq ual-to 0.5 in Ce2 (Fe1-xCox)17 to x almost-equal-to 0. 15 in Ce2 (Fe1- xCox)17Ny.