High coercivity Sm2Fe17N3 submicron size powder prepared by polymerized-complex and reduction-diffusion process

High coercivity Sm2Fe17N3 submicron size powder was synthesized by the polymerized-complex (PC), hydrogen reduction (HR) and reduction-diffusion (RD) processes. A mixture of nano size SmOx, FeOx, and SmFeO3 particles was first synthesized by the polymerized-complex method, which was then reduced to alpha-Fe and SmOx by hydrogen. Subsequent reduction diffusion using Ca metal led to the formation of submicron size Sm2Fe17 powder with a mixture of CaO. After nitriding and rinsing, Sm2Fe17N3 powder with the average diameter of 0.69 +/- 0.17 mu m was obtained, which exhibited the coercivity of 2.32 T, the highest ever reported for ternary Sm2Fe17N3 anisotropic powder. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.