Effect of praseodymium and cobalt substitution on magnetic properties and structures in La(Fe_(1–x)Si_x)_(13) compounds

Magnetic properties and structures in La1-zPrz(Fe0.895–xCoxSi0.105)13 (x=0.07, 0.08; z=0, 0.2, 0.4) compounds were investigated. When Pr and Co substituted for La and Fe, the Curie temperature of the compounds was adjusted to around room temperature. The magnetic phase transition was driven from first-order to second-order due to Co substitution. As a second-order phase transition material, the MCE of La0.6Pr0.4(Fe0.825Co0.07Si0.105)13, whose relative cooling power was 175 J/kg under a field change of 2 T, ...     

Influence of partial substitution of cerium for lanthanum on magnetocaloric properties of La_(1–x)Ce_xFe_(11.44)Si_(1.56) and their hydrides

The structure and magnetocaloric properties of La1–xCexFe11.44Si1.56 and their hydrides La1–xCexFe11.44Si1.56Hy（x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4） were investigated.The samples crystallized mainly in the cubic Na Zn13-type structure with a small amount of α-Fe phase as impurity.The lattice constants and Curie temperature presented the same change tendency with increasing of Ce content.For the hydrides, the influence of Ce content on lattice constants was weakened and the values of H concentration y were approximate to be 1.56.The La1–xCexFe11.44Si1.56 compounds exhibited large values of isothermal entropy change –ΔSm around the Curie temperature TC under a low magnetic field change of 1.5 T.The value of –ΔSm increased and then decreased with increasing Ce content, reached the maximum, 26.07 J/kg·K for x=0.3.TC increased up to the vicinity of room temperature by hydrogen absorption for the Ce substituted compounds, but TC only slightly decreased with increasing Ce content.The first-order metamagnetic transition was still kept in the hydrides and the maximum values of –ΔSm were lower than those of the La1–xCexFe11.44Si1.56 compounds, but still remained large values, about 10.5 J/kg K under a magnetic field change of 1.5 T.The values of –ΔSm were nearly independent of the Ce content and did not increase with increasing x for the hydrides.The La1–xCexFe11.44Si1.56Hy（x=0–0.4） hydrides exhibited large magnetic entropy changes, small hysteresis loss and effective refrigerant capacity covered the room temperature range from 305 to 317 K.These hydrides are very useful for the magnetic refrigeration applications near room temperature under low magnetic field change.     

Influence of silicon and carbon elements on formation of 1:13 phase and microstructure in LaFe13-ySiy compounds

Microstructure dependent on silicon and formation of 1:13 phase in LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 compounds was investigated. C and Si ele-ments played different roles in assisting the formation of 1:13 phase. Si could inhibit the growth of α-Fe. The volume fraction of La-rich phase increased with the increase of Si content in the LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 ingots. When Si content was lower in LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 (y≤1.0), α-Fe was excess and grew very large in the initial annealing process. As a result, a large amount of α-Fe remained even after a long time annealing process. Carbon doping could accelerate the formation of 1:13 phase in the LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 compounds. The amount of the 1:13 phase reached ~90 vol.% in LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 (y≥1.2) after annealing at 1353 K for only 3 d. After optimized annealing, large magnetic entropy changes were ob-tained in LaFe13-ySiyC0.2 compounds (18.6 and 15 J/(kg·K) in 0-2 T field change for y=1.2, 1.4, respectively).     

Research Advance on Magnetocaloric Effect of La-Fe-M（AI，Si） Compounds

Recent research progress on magnetocaloric effect of La-Fe-M (M=Al,Si) compounds was presented. La-Fe-M(M=A1,Si) compounds of high Fe content are excellent soft magnetic materials with NaZn13 structure. The Curie temperature of the compounds can be increased by substituting small amount of Co for Si, Al. The La(Fe1_yCoy)xSi13-x compoundswith an appropriate ratio of Co and Si can produce giant magnetocaloric effect comparable to that for Gd5Si2Ge2 at room temperature. The La(FexSi1-x)13 doped with H can also produce giant magnetocaloric effect at room temperature,which is much greater than that for Gd. For La(FexSi1-x)13 compounds with low Si or high Si contents. The nature of phase transition near Curie temperature induced by temperature and magnetic field was described in detail.     

Modification effect of lanthanum on primary phase Mg2Si in Mg-Si alloys

The modifying effect of La addition on primary phase Mg2Si in Mg-5Si alloys was investigated. The results showed that a proper amount of La could effectively modify the primary phase Mg2Si, Based on the present experiment, the optimal modification effect was obtained with an addition of about 0.5 wt.% La. The size of the primary phase MgzSi was considerably reduced to 25μm or less and the morphology was modified from a coarse dendritic shape to a polyhedral shape. However, when the addition of La increased to 0.8 wt.% or higher, the primary Mg2Si grew into a coarse dendritic morphology again. Moreover, it was found that some LaSi2 compounds were formed during solidification and the amount of the compounds appeared to increase gradually with increasing La content.     

Refrigeration effect of La（FeCoSi）13B0.25 compounds and gadolinium metal in reciprocating magnetic refrigerator

The LaFe11.9–x Cox Si1.1 B0.25 with x=0.9 and x=0.82 compounds were synthesized from commercial purity raw materials.The magnetic property of LaFe11.9–x Cox Si1.1 B0.25 and Gd particles were tested on the reciprocating refrigerator at the same condition in order to compare the cooling capacity of the two materials.The results showed that the cooling velocity of Gd was obviously higher than that of LaFe11.9–x Cox Si1.1 B0.25.The maximum temperature span was 12.7 oC for LaFe11.0 Co0.9 Si1.1 B0.25,14.9 oC for Gd metal whose mass is the same as that of LaFe11.0 Co0.9 Si1.1 B0.25,8.1 oC for Gd metal whose volume is the same as that of LaFe11.0 Co0.9 Si1.1 B0.25.Series connection of LaFe11.0 Co0.9 Si1.1 B0.25 and LaFe11.08 Co0.82 Si1.1 B0.25 had the maximum cooling temperature span of 15.3 oC.     

Effect of loaded organic phase containing mixtures of silicon and aluminum, single iron on extraction of lanthanum in saponification P507-HCl system

Emulsification troubled normal extraction process of rare earths due to the existence of non-rare earth impurities,especially Si,Al and Fe.Against this background,the effect of emulsification caused by Si,Al and Fe on the La extraction with saponification P507(2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester) in chloride medium was systematically investigated.A series of experiments were carried out to study the relationship of the extraction capacity of La and the concentration of impurities.ZPM-203 polarizing microscope was applied to investigate the morphology of emulsification,and the cation exchange extraction mechanism of Fe and Al as well as La was clarified by IR spectra.The results showed that a low concentration of Si in organic phase would aggravate the emulsification with Al,and the formation of ME(micro emulsion) and club-shaped polymer would result in emulsification in the extraction of mixtures of Si and Al,single Fe,respectively.Furthermore,the accumulation of impurity such as Si,Al and Fe in the organic phase would severely reduce the extraction capacity of La simultaneously.     

Influence of iron on phase and magnetic property of the LaFe_（11.6）Si_（1.4） compound

The phase relation, microstructure, Curie temperatures, hysteresis, and magnetocaloric effects of LaFex*11.6Si1.4 (x=0.96, 0.98, 1.0, and 1.02) compounds prepared by arc-melting and then annealed at 1423 K (1.5 h)+1523 K (4.5 h) were investigated. The main phase was NaZn13-type phase, the impurity phases included a small amount of α-Fe and LaFeSi phase in four samples. The crystal cell parameters of 1:13 phase increased from 1.1433(5) to 1.1454(4) nm with x increasing from 0.96 to 1.02, respectively. All samples kept the typical first-order magnetic transition. The increase of Fe strengthened IEM behavior, and led to the remarkable enhancement of MCE effect and negative slopes in Arrott plots around TC. The maximum ΔSM (T, H) under a low magnetic field (0-2 T) was 15.3, 16.8, 17.9, and 24.7 J/kg K with increasing of Fe content from x=0.96 to 1.02, respectively.     

Phase structure and electrochemical properties of non-stoichiometric La0.7Ce0.3(Ni3.65Cu0.75Mn0.35Al0.15(Fe0.43B0.57)0.10)x hydrogen storage alloys

Phase structure and electrochemical characteristics of Co-free La0.7Ce0.3(Ni3.65Cu0.75Mn0.35Al0.15(Fe0.43B0.57)0.10)x (0.90≤x≤1.10) al-loys were investigated. When x was 0.90, the alloy was composed of LaNi5, La3Ni13B2 and Ce2Ni7 phases. The Ce2Ni7 phase disappeared, and the abundant of La3Ni13B2 phase decreased when x increased to 0.95. When x was 1.00 or higher the alloys consisted of LaNi5 phase. The lat-tice parameter a and the cell volume V of the LaNi5 phase decreased, and the c/a ratio of the LaNi5 phase increased with x value increasing. Maximum discharge capacity of the alloy electrodes first increased and then decreased with x value increasing from 0.90 to 1.10, and the highest value was obtained when x was 1.00. High-rate dischargeability at the discharge current density of 1200 mA/g increased from 50.7% (x= 0.90) to 64.1% (x=1.10). Both the charge-transfer reaction at the electrode/electrolyte interface and the hydrogen diffusion in the alloy were responsible for the high-rate dischargeability. Cycling capacity retention rate at 100th cycle (S100) gradually increased from 77.3% (x= 0.90) to 84.6% (x=1.10), which resulted from the increase in Ni content and the c/a ratio of the LaNi5 phase with x value increasing.     

Magnetocaloric properties of the Gd5Si2.05-xGe1.95-xMn2x compounds

The influence of the manganese-alloying on the structure and magnetocaloric properties of the Gd5Si2.05Ge1.95 compound was studied by X-ray powder diffraction and magnetization measurements.The Gd5Si2.05-xGe1.95-xMn2x(2x=0,0.03 and 0.08) compounds crystallized in the Gd5Si2Ge2-type monoclinic structure.In all X-ray powder diffraction patterns,a minor hexagonal Gd5Si3 phase was observed as a second phase.With increasing Mn content,the unit cell volume increased.For the compounds with x=0,0.03 and 0.08,the fi...     

Structural,electrical and magnetic studies on Y-Fe-O system

The compounds of iron substituted yttrium oxide systems have been prepared for the importance in the field of magneto electric materials.The polycrystalline samples of Y2-xFexO3-y(x=0.1,0.2) were prepared by solid-state reaction method.The single-phase formation of these compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies.It was found that the samples crystallized in tetragonal phase and the lattice parameters were calculated as a=1.0559(7) nm,c=1.0832(9) nm for Y1.9Fe0.1O3-y and a=1.0545(6) nm,c=1.0841(8)...     

Structural Analysis and Magnetic Properties of Gd-Doped Li-Ni Ferrites Prepared Using Rheological Phase Reaction Method

A series of Gd-doped Li-Ni ferrites with the formula of LiNi0.5GdxFe2-xO4 where x = 0.00 - 0.08 in steps of 0.02, were prepared by thermolysis of oxalate precursors obtained by rheological phase reaction. The structure, morphology, and the magnetic properties of the samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction （XRD）, atomic force microscopy （AFM） and a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. A single spinel phase was obtained in the range of x = 0.00 - 0.04. The lattice parameters of the Gd-doped samples were larger than that of pure Li-Ni ferrite, and increased in the range of 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.04, then decreased up to x = 0.08, because of the formation of the secondary phase （Gd- FeO3）. All samples were spheric particles with an average size of about 100 nm, but agglomerated to some extent. The hysteresis loops indicated that the saturation magnetization decreased gradually with increasing Gd content, while the variation of coercivity was related to the microstructure of the Gd-doped samples.     

Influence of rapid quenching on cyclic stability of La-Mg-Ni system （AB3-type） electrode alloys

Aiming at the improvement of the cyclic stability of La-Mg-Ni system （PuNi3-type） hydrogen storage alloy, Ni in the alloy was partly substituted by Fe. The electrode alloys of La0.7Mg0.3Co0.45Ni255-xFex （x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4） were prepared by casting and rapid quenching. The influence of the quenching on cyclic stability as well as structure of the alloys was investigated in detail. The results of electrochemical measurement indicated that rapid quenching significantly improved cyclic stability. When the quenching rate rose from 0 （As-cast was defined as a quenching rate of 0 m/s） to 30 m/s, the cyclic life of Fe-free alloy （x=-0） increased from 81 to 105 cycles, and for alloy containing Fe（x=0.4）, it grew from 106 to 166 cycles at a current density of 600 mA/g. The results obtained by XRD, TEM and SEM revealed that the as-cast and quenched alloys had multiphase structures, including two major phases （La, Mg）Ni3 and LaNi5 as well as an imptLrity phase LaNi2. Rapid quenching helped the formation of an amorphous-like structure in Fe containing alloys.     

Wet chemical synthesis of La9.83–xSrxSi6O26+δ（0≤x≤0.50） powders,characterization of intermediate and final products

In this paper we reported the preparation and extensive characterization of La9.83–x Sr x Si6O26+δ(0≤x≤0.50) precursors, intermediate and final products. The sintering reactions, the phase formation, the structure as well as the powders’ morphology were studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Moreover, the effect of stoichiometry on precursor’s structure and morphology as well as on intermediate and final products was reported. As was concluded pure La9.83Si6O26+δ, La9.38Sr0.45Si6O26+δ and La9.33Sr0.50Si6O26+δ could be prepared after sintering at 1400 °C for 20 h while La9.68Sr0.15Si6O26+δ and La9.53Sr0.30Si6O26+δ compounds contained minor traces(<3.5%) of La2Si2O7 secondary phase. Concerning the synthesis, there have been no previous reports on the preparation of pure La9.83Si6O26+δ, La9.38Sr0.45Si6O26+δ and La9.33Sr0.50Si6O26+δ compounds. The final powders consisted of spherical particles and an increase of Sr content seemed to inhibit sintering phenomena. The existence of interstitial oxygen at intermediate crystallographic positions of apatite structure had great effect on Si O4 sub-structure distortion. The increase of Sr content led to a major reduction of interstitial oxygen quantity and the refutation of silicon tetrahedron distortion.     

Effect of Zn Doping on Transport Properties of La2/3 Sr1/3 Mn1 - x Znx O3 Films

La2/3 Sr1/3 Mn1-x ZnxO3films （x =0.05, 0.1,0.3, and 0.5） were prepared using magnetron sputtering method, and the effect of Zn doping on transport properties of the films was studied. An analysis of X-ray diffraction showed that the main phase of the bulk target was orthorhombic and the films had better epitaxial character. It was found that the films with x =0.05 and x =0.1 exhibited typical insulator-metal transition. No transition of the films with x≥0.3 was observed and the dominant transport was variable-range hopping due to observable secondary phase ZnO. These could be attributed to the Zn doping effect on manganites.     

Isothermal section of Nd-Zr-Si ternary system at 773 K

Phase diagram is an important basis for materials research and materials application.The phase relations of the Nd-Zr-Si ternary system at 773 K were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction analysis,metallographic analysis and scanning electron microscopy with en-ergy dispersive analysis.The isothermal section of the phase diagram of the Nd-Zr-Si ternary system at 773 K was determined.The isother-mal section of the system consisted of 13 single-phase regions,23 two-phase regions and 11 three-phase regions.The homogeneity range of α-NdSix was from 63 at.% to 66 at.% Si(with x=1.70-1.94).The maximum solid solubilities of Nd in Zr-Si binary compounds and Zr in the Nd-Si binary compounds were observed less than 1 at.% at 773 K.     

Phase Structure and Electrochemical Characteristics of Ml（Ni3.55Co0.75Mn0.40Al0.30）5x （x=0.88, 0.92, 0.96, 1.00） Hydrogen Storage Alloys

The phase structure and electrochemical characteristics of Ml （（Ni3.55Co0.75Mn0.40Al0.30）sx （ x = 0.88, 0.92, 0.96, 1.00） hydrogen storage alloys were studied. The effect of the stoichiometric ratio on the phase structure and electrochemical characteristics was analyzed. The results of XRD reveal that all the alloys consist mainly of LaNi5 phase with the hexagonal CaCu5 structure. But a few of the diffraction peaks of La2Ni7 phase on XRD pattern are observed when x ≤ 0.92, and with decreasing x, the intensity of La2Ni7 diffraction peaks increases and the values of lattice parameters a and cell volume increase, c and c/a of LaNi5 phase decrease gradually. When x≥0.96, La2Ni7 phase disappears and the alloys become single CaCu5-type. The electrochemical tests show that the maximum discharge capacity, high rate dischargeability and low temperature dischargeability are improved to different degrees by adjusting the stoichiometric ratio.     

Thermoelectric Properties of （Ce, La）yFe1.0Co3.0Sb12 Compounds Syntiesized by Solid State Reaction

The filled Skutterudite compounds (Ce,La)yFexCo4-xSb12 with x= 1.0 and y=0-0.3 were synthesized by solid state reaction and Spark PlasmaSintefing (SPS) using powders of Co, Sb, Fe and rare earth Ce, La as starting materials. The thermoe-lectric properties of the compounds were also studied.It is shown that the almost single phase Skutterudite compounds (Ce, La)yFex Co4-xSb12 are synthesized at900-1000K and all samples show p-type.     

Phase relationship of Dy-Fe-Mn system at 773 K

Rare-earth intermetallic compounds formed in many R-Fe-Mn（R=rare-earth element） systems exhibit excellent properties. In order to understand the existence and stability of the compounds in the system and further search for the potential application of R-Fe-Mn alloys in various aspects, it is necessary to investigate the phase relations of the Dy-Fe-Mn ternary system. A total of 96 samples of the Dy-Fe-Mn alloys were prepared by arc-melting and examined by metallographic analysis, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） techniques. The phase relationship of the Dy-Fe-Mn system at 773 K was determined. It was found that the isothermal section was characterized by intermediate solid solutions based on the substitutions of Fe/Mn atoms and the large extensions of the binaries into the ternary domains. The solid solubilities of the third element in the binary compounds and the phase boundaries were also determined by XRD technique using the phase disappearing method combined with the lattice parameter method and SEM/EDS technique. Two pairs of corresponding binary compounds in the Dy-Fe and Dy-Mn systems（DyFe2 and DyMn2, Dy6Fe23 and Dy6Mn23） formed a continuous series of solid solution at 773 K, respectively.     

Preparation of La（OH）3 and La2O3 with Rod Morphology by Simple Hydration of La2O3

Lanthanum hydroxide with rod-like morphology was synthesized with simple hydration processing via the hydration of its bulk oxide in normal water solution at boiling temperature. An XRD pattern shows the formation of the hexagonal phase of La（OH）3, indicating that the hydration process is very rapid. The as-prepared La（OH）3 is almost entirely with a needle- or rod-like shape with a width of 2 - 3 μm and a length of 5 - 8 μm. The mechanism of the formation of La（OH）3 with rod-like morphology was preliminarily presented. It is easier to expand the simple hydration process on a large scale than the hydrothermal process.