STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF ER2FE15M2 COMPOUNDS WITH M=MN, FE, NI, AL, GA AND SI

The structural and magnetic properties of the Er2Fe15M2 compounds with M = Mn, Fe, Ni, Al, Ga and Si have been studied. X-ray diffraction an d thermomagnetic curve measurements show that all compounds crystalliz e in the Th2Ni17-type of structure. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the aligned samples indicate that at room temperature all compounds ha ve planar anisotropy. The effects of the substitution for Fe of variou s elements on the magnetic properties such as Curie temperature and sp ontaneous magnetization are discussed. Substitution of Ni for Fe leads to the strongest increase of T-c and the smallest decrease of M-T The magnetocrystalline anisotropy of these compounds has been investigate d. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.