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Recent Progress in Exploring Magnetocaloric Materials
Author(s) -
Shen B. G.,
Sun J. R.,
Hu F. X.,
Zhang H. W.,
Cheng Z. H.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200901072
Subject(s) - magnetic refrigeration , materials science , refrigeration , condensed matter physics , doping , engineering physics , magnet , nanotechnology , thermodynamics , magnetic field , magnetization , mechanical engineering , optoelectronics , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
The magnetic refrigeration technique based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) has attracted increasing interest because of its high efficiency and environment friendliness. In this article, our recent progress in exploring effective MCE materials is reviewed with emphasis on the MCE in the LaFe 13− x Si x based alloys discovered by us. These alloys show large entropy changes over a wide temperature range near room temperature. The effects of magnetic rare‐earth doping, interstitial atoms and high pressure on the MCE have been systematically studied. Special issues, such as appropriate approaches to determining the MCE associated with the first‐order magnetic transition, the depression of magnetic and thermal hysteresis, and the key factors determining the magnetic exchange in alloys of this kind, are discussed. The applicability of giant MCE materials to magnetic refrigeration near ambient temperature is evaluated. A brief review of other materials with significant MCE is also presented.