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Magnetic refrigeration technology based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of magnetic substances has been considered a prominent, energy‐efficient, and environmentally benign cooling method. Exploring suitable magnetic substances is a prerequisite for practical applications. A family of rare‐earth‐free magnetocaloric materials called Mn30Fe20−xCuxAl50 alloys is identified room‐temperature refrigeration, which are derived from the well‐known MnAl‐based permanent magnets. As expected from experimental and theoretical investigations, all of the Mn30Fe20−xCuxAl50 alloys are crystallized in a stable cubic CsCl‐type crystal structure, revealing a single second‐order type magnetic phase transition (MPT) with tunable MPT temperature. They also exhibit a large reversible MCE and good magnetocaloric performances in a wide temperature range. Crucially, these Mn30Fe20−xCuxAl50 alloys represent a rare case of magnetic materials belonging to a large family that can be fabricated from low‐price, earth‐abundant, and non‐toxic elements. They could provide new choices for practical room‐temperature magnetic refrigeration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reported here is a systematical investigation on the crystal structure, magnetic properties and magnetocaloric (MC) effect of three rare earth (RE) molybdate RE 2 MoO 6 (RE = Dy, Tb and Gd) oxides. The X-ray powder diffraction and the morphology as examined using the scanning electron microscope indicate phase-pure and polycrystalline nature of these oxides. The temperature (2–100 K) and magnetic field (up to 5 T) dependence of the magnetic measurements determine the magnetic phase transition (MPT) and MC properties. All the present RE 2 MoO 6 oxides crystallize in a monoclinic structure belonging to C 2/ c space group with the antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperature. Moreover, the RE 2 MoO 6 oxides hold reasonable values of MC parameters including the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change/temperature-averaged entropy change (2 K lift) and relative cooling power values have been evaluated with the magnetic change of 0–5 T, yielding 17.22 (17.08) J/kgK and 277.67 J/kg for Dy 2 MoO 6 , 17.03 (16.83) J/kgK and 261.12 J/kg for Tb 2 MoO 6 , as well as 27.68 (26.69) J/kgK and 228.14 J/kg for Gd 2 MoO 6 , respectively. These acceptable MC parameters make the present RE 2 MoO 6 oxides potential candidates for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration (MR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic refrigeration (MR) based on magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a key technique, since it possesses ideally higher performance than the traditional gas compression technology. However, the lack of MR materials with excellent MCE performance is a bottle-neck for practical MR applications. Herein, we systematically report the structural properties using powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope as well as the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties through the magnetization measurements of four rare-earth (RE) ruthenate RE 3 RuO 7 (RE = Pr, Nd, Gd and Tb) compounds. Light RE -based Pr 3 RuO 7 and Nd 3 RuO 7 compounds form an orthorhombic Cmcm structure, while heavy RE based Gd 3 RuO 7 and Tb 3 RuO 7 compounds crystallize in an orthorhombic P 2 1 nb structure. The magnetic phase transition of all the present compounds are confirmed to be of the first-order type with T N of 52, 15, 11 and 12 K for Pr 3 RuO 7 , Nd 3 RuO 7 , Gd 3 RuO 7 and Tb 3 RuO 7 compounds, respectively. The related MCE parameters including the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change, temperature-averaged entropy change (5 K lift), and refrigerant capacity with the magnetic field change of 0–5 T were computed to be 1.35 J/kgK, 1.31 J/kgK, and 27.4 J/kg for Pr 3 RuO 7 , to be 2.18 J/kgK, 2.04 J/kgK, and 25.6 J/kg for Nd 3 RuO 7 , to be 8.12 J/kgK, 7.90 J/kgK, and 124.6 J/kg for Gd 3 RuO 7 , and to be 7.78 J/kgK, 7.49 J/kgK, and 128.8 J/kg for Tb 3 RuO 7 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The RE 2 Ga 2 Mg (RE = Tm, Er, Ho) compounds were fabricated. • The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were investigated. • Large conventional and inverse magnetocaloric effects were observed. • The Tm 2 Ga 2 Mg is considerable for cryogenic magnetic cooling. The Mo 2 FeB 2 -type compounds RE 2 Ga 2 Mg (RE = Tm, Er, Ho) (space group P 4/ mbm) exhibit a large magnetocaloric (MC) effect which makes them promising for use in cryogenic magnetic cooling applications. They exhibit low temperature metamagnetic nature below their Néel temperatures of 6.8, 11.7 and 18.4 K for Tm 2 Ga 2 Mg, Er 2 Ga 2 Mg and Ho 2 Ga 2 Mg, respectively. The magnetic entropy change, the temperature-averaged entropy change (3 K-lift), and the relative cooling power under a magnetic field change of 0–7 T are 15.6, 15.4 J/kgK and 275.8 J/kg for Tm 2 Ga 2 Mg; 13.2, 13.0 J/kgK and 268.0 J/kg for Er 2 Ga 2 Mg; as well as 9.1, 9.0 J/kgK and 223.0 J/kg for Ho 2 Ga 2 Mg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth (RE) based RE - TM - X (TM = transition metal elements; X = P - block elements) materials have received continuous attention due to the exhibition of various intriguing magnetic functional characteristics. In this work, a combined experimental and theoretical investigation has been conducted in detail for RE Co 12 B 6 (RE = Ce, Pr, Nd) compounds with regard to their structural and magnetic properties, particularly the magnetocaloric effect and magnetic phase transition (MPT). All of the present RE Co 12 B 6 compounds are found to crystalize in the SrNi 12 B 6 -type structure and with a ferrimagnetic ground state, which is confirmed by density functional theory calculations and magnetization measurements. The magnetic moments of RE atoms and Co atoms tend to be in antiparallel alignment, and the MPT of these materials originates primarily from the spin-polarized 3 d electrons of the Co atoms, which can be greatly affected by the 4 f electrons of RE atoms. Considerable magnetocaloric effects have been observed around its own T C of 130, 157, and 160 K, for CeCo 12 B 6 , PrCo 12 B 6 , and NdCo 12 B 6 , respectively, which is related to a typical second-order MPT. The corresponding maximum magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power values,with field changes of 0–70 kOe, are determined to be 2.54, 2.84, and 2.77 J/kg K and 116.8, 156.2, and 155.1 J/kg, respectively. The MPT properties of present RE Co 12 B 6 compounds were studied in further detail by critical analysis using the modified Arrott Plot and Kouvel-Fisher methods, which can be explained within the frame of the 3D Heisenberg model with short-range magnetic interaction. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]