PURPOSE: To produce a nitrogen interstitial rare earth compound alloy of high performance and high quality at a low cost by bringing an alloy consisting of rare earth metals and transition metals into reaction with gas contg. nitrogen, detecting the change of the pressure of the gas and controlling the reaction.
CONSTITUTION: An alloy whose fundamental compsn. is essentially consisting of rare earth metals R (one or more kinds among rare earth metals including Y) and transition metals TM is brought into reaction with a gas contg. nitrogen to obtain a nitrogen interstitial rare earth compound alloy. As the gas contg. nitrogen, a nitrogen gas and/or a gaseous ammonia as well as a mixed gas of them and a gaseous hydrogen are preferably used. Or, Sm is used as R and Fe is used as TM, by which an alloy having a 2-12 series crystalline structure can be obtd., or Nd is used as R and Fe and Ti, V, Mo or the like are used as TM, by which an alloy having a 1-12 series crystalline structure can be obtd. In the reacting stage, by the detection of the change of the pressure of the gas, the reaction is controlled. In this way, the completion of the reaction is detected by the real time at the point of time at which the change of the pressure is eliminated, by which the wastefullness of time can be eliminated as well as the deterioration in the quality caused by an excessive reaction can be prevented.
KITAZAWA ATSUNORI
AKIOKA KOJI
