Recent Trends in the Development of Interstitially Modified Rare-Earth Intermetallic Compounds Produced by Gas Phase Reactions

Recent trends in the development of interstitially modified rare-earth intermetallic compounds produced by solid-gas phase reactions are reviewed. The effects of the H, N and C contents on the intrinsic magnetic properties of R-Fe-based compounds are summarized. The process for nitriding such compounds is briefly described. The successful fabrication of permanent magnets starting from Sm2Fe17Nx is introduced. Future applications of solid-gas phase reactions to the development of new rare-earth compounds are discussed.