Structural and magnetic properties of ternary nitrides R2Fe17Nx (R ≡ Nd, Sm)

A structural and magnetic characterization of the new ternary R2Fe17Nx compounds has been carried out by means of neutron powder diffraction and χac susceptibility measurements. Preliminary high field magnetization measurements are also presented. These new nitrides have been found to retain the 2:17 host metal symmetry. Nitrogen is accommodated in octahedral sites. The effects of nitrogenation on the magnetic properties are discussed. The high field measurements have allowed us to determine the anisotropy field of the Sm2Fe17N2.2 compound in the range from 4.2 to 300 K.