CRYSTAL STRUCTURES MAGNETIC PROPERTIES AND PHASE RELATIONS OF ERBIUM-NICKEL INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

The binary system erbium-nickel has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermoanalysis and metallography. A constitutional diagram has been constructed. Eleven intermetallic compounds have been identified: Er3Ni, Er5Ni3, ErNi, ErNi2, ErNi3, Er2Ni7, ErNi4, Er4Ni17, Er5Ni22, ErNi5 and Er2Ni17. For all compounds the lattice constants have been determined. Crystal structures are given for all the compounds except Er5Ni3, ErNi4, Er4Ni17 and Er5Ni22. A possible hexagonal structure for the last three compounds is indicated, in which the peculiar stacking along the c-direction leads to extremely large unit cells. The magnetic properties of most of the compounds have been investigated: Er5Ni3, ErNi, ErNi2, ErNi3, Er2Ni7, ErNi5 and Er2Ni17 are either ferro- or ferrimagnetic; Er3Ni is antiferromagnetic. © 1968.