The magnetic and structural properties of the high-coercivity Nd50Fe40Al10amorphous alloys

Melt-spun amorphous ribbons with thicknesses between 25 and 150 mum and amo rphous rods with diameters between 0.5 and 2 mm, prepared by copper mould s uction casting, having nominal composition Nd50Fe40Al10, were measured. The magnetic properties were measured as a function of temperature from 5 to 8 00 K. The dependence of the coercive field on the thickness of the samples and temperature is ascribed to two magnetic phases: Fe-Nd ferromagnetic clu sters and a Nd-based matrix. The differences observed between zero-field-co oled (M-ZFC) and field-cooled (M-FC) magnetisations as well as the presence of a cusp on the M-ZFC curve, and its displacement as a function of the ma gnitude of the external field are consistent with two types of magnetic ord er: spin-glass-like short-range order and long-range ferromagnetic order. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.