Enhancements of magnetocaloric effects in La(Fe0.90Si 0.10)13 and its hydride by partial substitution of Ce for La

Abstract

Magnetocaloric effects due to the itinerant-electron metamagnetic transition for La(Fe0.90Si0.10)13 compounds promising as refrigerants are enhanced by a partial substitution of Ce for La. The values of the isothermal magnetic entropy change ΔSm and the adiabatic temperature change ΔTud for La 1-zCez(Fe0.90Si0.10]13 compound with z = 0.1 are -32 J/kgK and 12.8K, respectively, just above the Curie temperature in the magnetic field change from 0 to 4T. Such large magnetocaloric effects can also be obtained in the vicinity of room temperature by hydrogen absorption. Annealing at 1373 K for 20 days makes it possible to substitute up to z = 0.2.