Double magnetic entropy change peaks and high refrigerant capacity in Gd1-xHoxNi compounds in the melt-spun form

Abstract

Gd1-xHoxNi melt-spun ribbons were fabricated by a single-roller melt spinning method. All the compounds crystallize in an orthorhombic CrB-type structure. The Curie temperature (TC) was tuned between 46 and 99 K by varying the concentration of Gd and Ho. A spin reorientation (SRO) transition is observed around 13 K. Different from TC, the SRO transition temperature is almost invariable for all compounds. Two peaks of magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) were found. One at the higher temperature range was originated from the paramagnet-ferromagnet phase transition and the other at the lower temperature range was caused by the SRO transition. The maximum of ΔSM around TC is almost same. The other maximum of ΔSM around SRO transition, however, had significantly positive relationship with x. It reached a maximum about 8.2 J kg−1 K−1 for x = 0.8. Thus double large ΔSM peaks were obtained in Gd1-xHoxNi melt-spun ribbons with the high Ho concentration. And the refrigerant capacity power reached a maximum of 622 J kg−1 for x = 0.6. Gd1-xHoxNi ribbons could be good candidate for magnetic refrigerant working in the low temperature especially near the liquid nitrogen temperature range.