Rare earth magnetically rigid materials

Experimental and theoretical investigations performed for the last 10-15 years in the field of magnetically rigid materials based on intermetallic compounds of rare earth (R) and transition (T) metals are reviewed. The major attention is paid to RT5 and R2T17 compounds, R(T,Cu)5 dispersion hardening alloys and RFe2 magnetomultiaxes compounds. The discussion is centering around physical aspects of the problems in question, such as permanent magnet production techniques, the nature of their high-coercive states and remagnetization processes, temperature stability of magnetic properties and correlation between the latter and crystal, phase, and domain structures, nature of the magnetic anisotropy and the magnetic momentum. Permanent magnets based on the fd-intermetallic compounds are emphasized to possess very large coercive force, high temperature stability of magnetic properties and large (BxH)sub(m) (B - magnet induction, H - magnetic field strength) more than twice as (BxH)sub(m) of the best magnets based on metals of iron or platinum group