Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of As-Cast SmCo5-Based Alloys

Local and crystalline structures of as-cast SmCo5+/-x alloys subjected to various heat treatments were studied using EXAFS, X-ray diffraction, and metallographic analyses. XRD and EXAFS analyses of SmCo5-x alloys show the evidence of the Sm-enrichment of the SmCo5 phase. The behavior of the lattice parameters of SmCo5 phase in Sm-rich alloys during aging between 1120 degrees C and 700 degrees C can be related to the phase transformation of SmCo5 into SmCo5-x phases.