Magnetic and Electrical Properties of Some Yb–Sb Phases

The magnetic susceptibilities and electrical and thermoelectric behavior of YbSb2, YbSb, α-Yb5Sb4, β-Yb5Sb4, Yb4Sb3, Yb5Sb3, and Yb5Sb2 were investigated. The compounds YbSb and Yb3Sb4 have considerable trivalent ytterbium present; 0.89 and 0.26 electrons, respectively, have been removed from the 4f shell. The other phases are essentially diamagnetic and behave similarly to ytterbium metal. The resistivity of the phases containing trivalent ions is enhanced because of the possibility of s—f scattering. Yb5Sb2 is weakly paramagnetic, but has the highest resistivity because its crystal structure appears to have partially occupied ytterbium sites.