Properties of GdFeAl ternary compound in two crystallographic structures

Properties of the GdFeAl compound which crystallized in the cubic MgCu2-type structure as well as in hexagonal MgZn2-type structure were compared. The electrical resistivity, AC susceptibility and magnetization as a function of temperature revealed relatively high magnetic ordering temperature about 200 K. The differences in magnetization were observed for samples crystallizing in two different crystallographic structures. The magnetic moments measured at 4.2 K and up to140 kOe are very far from the magnetic moment value for free Gd ion. The magnetic moment values of cubic and hexagonal phases are 1.1 μB and 1.7μB, respectively.