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New Er-based materials for active magnetic refrigeration below 20K

Journal Article · · Advances in Cryogenic Engineering
OSTI ID:476735
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Ames Lab., IA (United States)
  2. Astronautics Corp. of America, Madison, WI (United States)

High magnetic field (0 to 9.85 T) low temperature (1.2 to 30 K) heat capacity of five as-cast alloys: Er{sub 3}AlC, Er{sub 3}AlC{sub 0.5}, Er{sub 3}AlC{sub 0.25}, Er{sub 3}AlC{sub 0.1} and ErAgGa revealed that four of them can be used as efficient active magnetic regenerators for magnetic refrigerators at low temperature. Only one of the carbide phases (Er{sub 3}AlC) is a single phase material, while the remaining three alloys are found to be two-phase equilibrium mixtures of Er{sub 3}AlC and Er{sub 2}Al. Er{sub 3}AlC probably orders antiferromagnetically, and ErAgGa forms a low temperature ({approximately}3 to {approximately}5 K) non-magnetic atom disorder (NMAD) spin glass system. All alloys (except Er{sub 3}AlC{sub 0.1}) show a sufficiently high magnetocaloric effect in a range 4 to 20 K with a maximum adiabatic temperature rise of {approximately}12.5 K at {approximately}5 K for Er{sub 3}AlC for magnetic field change from 0 to 7.5 T. In the carbides series, the maximum adiabatic temperature change gradually decreases from {approximately}12.5 K to {approximately}6 K and the magnetocaloric peak temperature increases from {approximately}5 K to {approximately}9 K with decreasing carbon content. The adiabatic temperature rise for the ErAgGa is {approximately}10% higher and covers a wider range of useful temperatures than that of the {approximately}50:50 mixture of Er{sub 3}AlC and Er{sub 2}Al (Er{sub 3}AlC{sub 0.5}).

DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
476735
Report Number(s):
CONF-950722--
Journal Information:
Advances in Cryogenic Engineering, Journal Name: Advances in Cryogenic Engineering Vol. 42A; ISSN 0065-2482; ISSN ACYEAC
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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