Preferential site occupation and magnetic structure of Nd2(Co/x/Fe/1-x/)14B systems

Rietveld analyses of room-temperature neutron diffraction data for seven Nd2(Co/x/Fe/1-x/)14B alloys (x = 0,0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1) are reported. Throughout the entire composition range the Nd2Fe14B-type tetragonal crystal structure is maintained, with the lattice constants decreasing significantly as the Co concentration x increases. It is found that the J2-type transition-metal sites are preferentially occupied by Fe ions in the pseudoternary systems, a result which is analogous to the preferential Fe occupation of c sites previously observed in hexagonal Nd2(Co/x/Fe/1-x/)17 alloys.