Magnetic studies of intermetallic compounds Al3R (Al11R3) both in the solid and liquid states

The magnetic susceptibility of Al3R and Al11R3 (R = Ce, Pr, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb) compounds is investigated over wide temperature (300–1900 K) and field (0.2–1.2 T) ranges. It is found that microinclusions of Al2R can exist in the samples. They are not detectable in ordinary X-ray diffraction but give a significant contribution to the magnetic properties. The average effective magnetic moment per rare-earth atom changes through the rare-earth metals line reaching its maximum for holmium but rather lower than for the pure rare-earth metals. It means that rare-earth elements form covalent bonds with aluminum. These bonds remain in the liquid phase and begin to break down after melting point of Al2R only. The transition into a true solution state of the melt is somewhere above 1900 K.