X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetization measurements were employed to inv
estigate the effect of substitution of Mn for Co on the structure and magne
tic properties of Gd2Co17-xMnx (x = 0-4) compounds. XRD patterns show that
all samples are single phase with rhombohedral Th2Zn17-type structure. The
substitution of Mn for Co leads to a monotonic increase in unit cell volume
. The saturation magnetization increases slightly for x less than or equal
to2, then decreases slowly. The Curie temperature T-C is found to decrease
monotonically with increasing Mn concentration. The samples with x = 1-4 ex
hibit a uniaxial anisotropy at room temperature as determined from the XRD
measurement on magnetically aligned samples. The magnetocrystalline anisotr
opy field H, increases with increasing Mn concentration, attaining a maximu
m value of 43.7 kOe at x = 4. Spin reorientation phenomena are observed in
Gd2Co17 and off-stoichiometric Gd2Co17 compounds, which may be due to the d
ifferent temperature dependence of the anisotropy of the Co sites. (C) 2001
Elsevier Science B.V. Ah rights reserved.