Magnetocaloric materials for hydrogen liquefaction

Abstract

The expected energy transition to hydrogen gas as a greener energy vector has revived the interest in magnetic refrigeration at the cryogenic range, specifically between 20 and 80 K, with the vision to develop a new generation of hydrogen gas liquefiers. From the materials science point of view, the search for magnetocaloric materials containing mainly non-critical elements with a significant response in that temperature range, together with good cyclability and stability, is a challenging task. Given the increasing interest of the research community on this topic, we aim to establish a comprehensive catalog of the magnetocaloric compounds characterized so far, to be used as a starting point for further research. For this purpose, a systematic outlook of the state of the art is presented here, with the analysis and classification of more than 400 cryogenic magnetocaloric materials, divided into five large families according to their physicochemical properties. Moreover, we provide detailed information about their magnetocaloric properties, magnetic behavior, and transition characteristics together with criticality, which will facilitate the future search for optimal compounds.