2Flux growth and characterization of Ce-substituted Nd2Fe14B single crystals

Abstract Single crystals of ( Nd 1 − x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B , some reaching ∼ 6 × 8 × 8 mm 3 in volume, are grown out of Fe-(Nd, Ce) flux. This crystal growth method allows for large ( Nd 1 − x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B single crystals to be synthesized using a simple flux growth procedure. Chemical and structural analyses of the crystals indicate that ( Nd 1 − x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B forms a solid solution until at least x =0.38 with a Vegard-like variation of the lattice constants with x . Refinements of single crystal neutron diffraction data indicate that Ce has a slight site preference (7:3) for the 4 g rare earth site over the 4 f site. Magnetization measurements at 300 K show only small decreases with increasing Ce content in saturation magnetization ( M s ) and anisotropy field ( H A ), and Curie temperature ( T C ). First principles calculations are carried out to understand the effect of Ce substitution on the electronic and magnetic properties. For a multitude of applications, it is expected that the advantage of incorporating lower-cost and more abundant Ce will outweigh the small adverse effects on magnetic properties. Ce-substituted Nd 2 Fe 14 B is therefore a potential high-performance permanent magnet material with substantially reduced Nd content.