Synthesis and characterization of Sm2Co17 using electrodeposition and reduction-diffusion process

Sm ₂Co ₁₇ magnetic materials were synthesized using a combination of electrodeposition from an aqueous medium and a reduction-diffusion (R-D) process. The electrodeposition solution contained a complex agent (glycine) because of a significant reduction potential difference between Sm and Co. Co, Sm, O, and S were incorporated in the as-deposited Sm-Co alloy. The Sm compounds with O and S were difficult to reduce to metallic Sm without a reducing agent at high temperatures (>1000 ℃). Thus, a mixed sample of the as-deposited Sm-Co alloy, Ca granules, and NaCl was converted into Sm ₂Co ₁₇ at 800 ℃ during the R-D process. The annealing time was varied from 3 h to 12 h. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the as-deposited Sm-Co alloy was amorphous. After the R-D process, the Sm-Co alloy was converted into a crystalline Sm ₂Co ₁₇ form. An increase in the Sm ₂Co ₁₇ phase transformation was observed in the morphology analysis of the cross-section. Based on these analyses, the mechanism involved in the formation of Sm ₂Co ₁₇ was elucidated. The changes in the magnetic properties, including saturation magnetization (M _s) and coercivity (H _ci ), were determined using a vibrating sample magnetometer.