Study of thermal decomposition mechanism of the Fe/sub 17/Sm/sub 2/N/sub 3/ phase

We studied the high temperature decomposition mechanism for the Fe/sub 17/Sm/sub 2/N phase using several different experimental techniques, as thermomagnetic and thermogravimetric analyses. Our results show that the decomposition occurs in a two step scheme. In the first reaction we hare the formation of SmN and a solid solution of nitrogen in iron. In the second step, this solid solution degases, and we observe the evolution of nitrogen over a broad temperature range.