STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF Y3Fe27.2Cr1.8 AND Ce3Fe25Cr4 FERROMAGNETIC COMPOUNDS

Abstract

The structural and magnetoelastic properties of polycrystalline samples of Y 3 Fe 27.2 Cr 1.8 and Ce 3 Fe 25 Cr 4 intermetallic compounds are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, thermomagnetic, thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements in the temperature range of 77–500 K under applied magnetic fields up to 1.5 T. The well defined anomalies observed in the linear thermal expansion coefficient curves are associated with the magnetic phase transitions and presence of small amounts of 1:12 phase in the Ce 3 Fe 25 Cr 4 sample; the latter is also confirmed by AC susceptibility measurements. For Y 3 Fe 27.2 Cr 1.8, saturation behavior is observed in the anisotropic magnetostriction isotherms near the magnetic ordering temperature (TC), whereas for Ce 3 Fe 25 Cr 4 compound, saturation starts well below TC. The additional anomalies observed in the volume magnetostriction isotherms of both compounds are explained based on the anisotropy field in the a–b plane and along the c-axis of the unit cell.