Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of NdPrFe14B and its hydrides

Abstract

Abstract A systematic study of the influence of interstitial hydrogen on the structure, morphology of surface, magnetic and magnetothermal properties in multicomponent (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14BHx (x = 0; 2.7; 4.3) are reported. Partial substitution of Pr for Nd allows a decrease of the spin-reorientation transition temperature from 135 K for Nd2Fe14B to 73 K for (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14B. Hydrides (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14BHx crystallize in a tetragonal crystal structure (space group P42/mnm) of the Nd2Fe14B-type. Both lattice constants and unit cell volume increase upon hydrogen absorption. It was also found that the surface of the hydrogenated sample was very severely damaged by the introduction of hydrogen. Magnetic studies of both initial compound and the hydrides were performed on bulk and powder samples in static and pulsed magnetic fields up to 14 and 58 T, respectively. Hydrogenation has a significant effect on magnetic properties of a multicomponent alloy (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14B: Curie temperature and saturation magnetization increase, while temperature of SRT decreases (TSRT = 63 K for (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14BHx with x = 2.7 and 4.3). The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the range of spin-reorientation transition also decreases significantly. We analyzed magnetic properties of (Nd0.5Pr0.5)2Fe14BHx and compare them with that of Nd2Fe14BHx. Magnetic phase diagrams are constructed.