Ferromagnetic ε-Fe2MnN: High-Pressure Synthesis, Hardness and Magnetic Properties

Abstract

The iron manganese nitride Fe₂MnN was obtained by high-pressure-high-temperature synthesis from ζ-Fe₂N and elemental Mn at 15(2) GPa and 1573(200) K. The phase crystallizes isostructural to binary ε-Fe₃N. In comparison to the corresponding binary iron nitride, the microhardness of ε-Fe₂MnN is reduced to 6.2(2) GPa. Above about 800 K the ternary compound decomposes exothermally under loss of nitrogen. ε-Fe₂MnN is ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature of roughly 402 K.

Keywords: ferromagnet; high-pressure synthesis; iron nitride; manganese.