| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1570696 | Materials Characterization | 2015 | 15 Pages |
•The ball-milling method is suitable for producing RT3 nanopowders based on Ho•As-milled powders are composed of nanoflakes with thickness dependent on milling t•The decrease in crystallites size via pulverization is confirmed by XRD, TEM and AFM•The prolonged milling is reflected in the variation of magnetic parameters
The morphology and magnetic properties of the crystalline and ball-milled Ho(Ni0.5Fe0.5)3 intermetallic compounds are studied. The presence of PuNi3 type of crystal structure was confirmed in crystalline as well as powdered samples. The emergence of a partly amorphous phase was confirmed at the end of the pulverization process. The use of the ball-milling method for various grinding time is reflected in the fabrication of nanostructured flakes, with a thickness of less than 100 nm. Prolonged milling favors an assemblage of as-prepared nanopowder. The increase of pulverization time leads to the reduction in crystallites sizes confirmed by a variety of complementary measurement methods. Moreover, the increase in comminution duration results in the enhancement of the coercivity (HC), non-linear dependence of remanence (Mr) and emergence of Mr./MS ratio to values higher than 0.5. A quantitative analysis of XPS spectra shows an increase of Fe concentration versus sputtering which is in coincidence with magnetic measurements.
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