Amorphous transition metal-lanthanide alloys

Claim 1

An alloy represented by the formula: (M w X x B l-w-x ) l-y (R z La l-z ) y wherein w is from about 0.7 to about 0.9; x is from 0 to about 0.10; y is from about 0.05 to about 0.15; z is from 0 to about 0.95; M is selected from the class consisting of iron, cobalt, an iron-cobalt alloy, an iron-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron, an iron-nickel alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron, an iron-cobalt-manganese alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron and cobalt, an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron and cobalt, and an iron-cobalt-manganese-nickel alloy having at least 50 atomic percent iron and cobalt; X is an auxiliary glass former selected from the class consisting of phosphorous, carbon, silicon, aluminum, arsenic, germanium, indium, antimony, bismuth, tin, and mixtures thereof, and R is selected from the group consisting of cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and mixtures thereof, said alloy having an amorphous microstructure.