Institute of Metals Division - Rare-Earth Compounds with the MgCu2 Structure

A number of new AB, compounds, in which A is a rare earth or yttrium atom and B is Al, Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni, having the cubic MgCu, structure (Laves phase) are reported. In most of the compounds, the interatomic distances are normal; the lanthanide contraction is observed. However, in the compounds CeB2, B = Fe, Co, Ni, Ce appears to have a valence substantially greater than three; in CeAl2, Ce appears to be trivalent. These results are interpreted as vesulting from an energetically more favorable situation for the 4f electron of Ce to be lost to the 3d band of Fe, Co, nnd Ni. Evidence for the existence of homogeneitj! ranges in these compounds is presented. THE purpose of this paper is to report on the crys-tallographic investigations of a large number of new compounds, Table I, with the MgCuz structure (cubic Laves phase). It is a part of a continuing study of the magnetic properties and structures of binary systems involving the rare earths. In a previous paper' some of the magnetic properties of such systems were reported briefly. We have also reported2 a number of compounds of the CusCa type. The compounds were prepared by induction melting in Argon atmosphere of mixtures of stoichiomet-ric amounts of the constituent elements.* For most of the compounds fused alumina or silica crucibles were used as the containing vessel; graphite crucibles were used to prepare CeA12, NdAl2 and TbA12. X-ray powder photographs were taken with CrKa radiation and the use of Straumanis-type Norelco cameras of 114.6 mm diam. The compounds AB2 belong to space group Fd3m-Ol with 8A in a): (000; 01/2 '/2;3) + 000-; b % XA and 16B in dl: (000; oVa %; 3) + 5/87; % %; 7e % Vs\£>. Because the intensities of the reflections on the powder photographs of the different compounds are similar, relative intensities were computed only for DyMnz for CrKa radiation, Table 11. In the calculation of intensities, the Thomas and umeda3 atomic scattering factors, corrected for dispersion,4 were used. The agreement between observed and calculated intensities leaves little doubt that DyMnz has the MgCuz structure. Crystallographic data for the ABz compounds are given in Table JII. Twelve of these compounds have been reported by other authors. A comparison of the published results with our work is given in Table W.* ers of elements of lower purity, to peritectic reactions in some cases, and to the presence of homogeneity ranges in these alloys, so that melting losses would still result in single phase alloys. The possibility of existence of homogeneity ranges in these compounds was investigated systematically only for GdMnz. At room temperature, the solid solution range is between