Magnetic properties of the PrCo4-xNixB borides

In this work, the crystal structure and the magnetic properties of the PrCo4-xNixB compounds for 0 <= x <= 4 have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), magnetization and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. These compounds crystallize in a hexagonal CeCo4B-type structure with P6/mmm space group. The substitution of Ni for Co leads to a decrease of the unit-cell parameters a and the unit-cell volume V, while the unit-cell parameter c increases. The magnetic measurements indicate that the samples with x <= 2 are ordered magnetically. The samples with x=3 and x=4 are paramagnetic. The Curie temperature and the saturation magnetization decrease with increasing Ni content x. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.