Thermal expansion anomaly and magnetic properties of Nd2AlFe11Mn5 compound

Materials with negative thermal expansion have many important applications such as constituents of composite materials designed to reduce their overall thermal expansion. The structural and magnetic properties of Nd2AlFe11Mn5 compound were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. The result shows that the Nd2AlFe11Mn5 compound crystallizes in a rhomhedral Th2Zn2-type structure. The Curie temperature Tc is about 150 K. The negative thermal expansion coefficient of Nd2AlFe11Mn5 compound is found by X-ray diffraction in sbtemperature range of 122–203 K. There exists an anisotropic and strong positive spontaneous magnetostriction in Nd2AlFe11Mn5 compound. The magnetostriction deformations were discussed.