Isothermal Cross-Sections of Gd-Fe-Ge System at 800 °C and Magnetic Properties of Gd117Fe52Ge112 Compound

The isothermal section of the phase diagram of the Gd-Fe-Ge ternary system at 800 °C was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Three intermediate solid solutions have been identified or confirmed: one lacunaire GdFexGe2 (CeNiSi2-type of structure space group P6/mmm) and two by substitition GdFe4-xGex (AlB4-type of structure space group I4/mmm) and GdFe12-xGex (YCo6Ge6-type of structure space group P6/mmm) and one ternary compound Gd117Fe52Ge112 (Tb117Fe52Ge112-type of structure space group Fm-3m). The magnetic properties of Gd117Fe52Ge112 compound is ferromanetic at 89 K have been studied. The 800 °C phase diagram of this system consists of 20 three-phases regions.