MAGNETOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND ANISOTROPY COMPENSATION IN QUATERNARY RARE EARTH-IRON MATERIALS OF THE TYPE TBXDYYHOZFE2

The static and dynamic magnetomechanical properties, in the temperature range -60 degrees C to +100 degrees C, of quaternary compositions of the type TbxDyyHozFe2 (x+y+z=1) which have K-1 close to zero at +20 OC are presented The maximum room temperature values of d(33) (7.9 nm A(-1)) and k(33) (0.62) are achieved for Tb0.20Dy0.22Ho0.58Fe2, the composition for which K-2 is also close to zero at +20 OC. Calculations performed with an anisotropy model including an eighth-order term show a 20 fold decrease in the anisotropy of Tb0.20Dy0.22Ho0.58Fe2 in comparison with Terfenol-D. This decrease is not as effective in improving material performance as the opposing influence of the reduction in saturation magnetostriction.