Enhancements of Magnetocaloric Effects in La(Fe_0.90Si_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(Fe_0.90Si_0.10)₁₃ compounds promising as refrigerants are enhanced by a partial substitution of Ce for La. The values of the isothermal magnetic entropy change ΔS_m and the adiabatic temperature change ΔT_ad for La_1−zCe_z(Fe_0.90Si_0.10)₁₃ compound with z = 0.1 are −32 J/kg K and 12.8 K, respectively, just above the Curie temperature in the magnetic field change from 0 to 4 T. 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.