Magnetostriction and thermal expansion of interstitially modified NdFe10V2Zx (Z = N, H) compounds

NdFe10V2 composites were prepared and the influence of H and N interstitial modifications on their structural and magnetoelastic properties were studied. By hydrogenation, the thermal expansion trace is markedly affected so that hydrogen-induced modification can be proposed as an effective method for monitoring the thermal expansion coefficient of NdFe10V2. Besides, nitrogenation does not have pronounced effect on the thermal expansion behavior of the NdFe10V2 compound. Below the spin reorientation temperature TSR = 130 K, the anisotropic magnetostriction Δλ of the hydride is negligible, while above TSR the saturation value of Δλ considerably decreases by hydrogenation. Our results show that below TSR = 130 K nitrogenation changes the sign of the anisotropic magnetostriction, while above TSR the thermal behaviour of Δλ is similar to that of the host compound. These results are discussed as due to the influence of interstitial modifications on both the magnetic anisotropy and the magnetization.