Magnetothermal Properties and Magnetocaloric Effect in R3Co11B4

Abstract

We present a study on the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in R3Co11B4, where R = Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy, and Ho. The two-sublattice model is used for calculating magnetization, magnetic heat capacity, isothermal entropy change ∆Sm, and adiabatic temperature change ∆Tad, for different magnetic field changes ∆H = 1.5, 3, and 5 T and at temperatures up to 600 K. Direct and inverse MCE are shown to take place in the ferrimagnetic compounds with R = Tb, Dy, and Ho. The maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change and maximum adiabatic temperature change have been calculated for ferromagnetic Nd3Co11B4 compound to be 1.85 J/K mol and 6.5 K at Tc = 432 K, for a field change ∆H = 5 T. The relative cooling power (RCP) is in the 44–161 J/mol range for the same field change. Also, the type of phase transition is investigated in the light of Arrott plots, universal curves, and the features of the temperature and field dependences of the magnetization, heat capacity, entropy, and the magnetocaloric properties. Those features confirm that the transition at the Curie temperature of these compounds is of the second order.