J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2012, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (10): 941-945.

• Mechanical and Functional Properties of Materials • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Magnetism and Magnetocaloric Properties of Mn3Zn1−xSnxC and Mn3−xCrxZnC Compounds

Naikun Sun1), Yaobiao Li2), Feng Liu1), Tongbo Ji2)   

  1. 1) School of Science, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang 110159, China
    2) Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
  • Received:2011-09-01 Revised:2011-12-12 Online:2012-10-30 Published:2012-10-30
  • Contact: Yaobiao Li
  • Supported by:

    the Dr Research Startup Fund of Shenyang Ligong University (No. 2008 (20)), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50902128) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, China (No. 20101534).

Abstract:

Upon substitution of Sn for Zn, the Curie temperature of Mn3ZnC is lowered from 380 to 375 K for Mn3Zn0.95Sn0.05C and to 305 K for Mn3Zn0.75Sn0.25C. In accordance with the second-order ferromagnetic paramagnetic transition, a room-temperature magnetocaloric effect without thermal and magnetic hysteresis is observed over a wide temperature range. The maximum value of the magnetic-entropy change ?SM for a magnetic-field change from 0 to 5 T is 2.42 J?kg-1K-1 at 386 K for Mn3Zn0.95Sn0.05C and 1.70 J?kg-1K-1 at 308 K for Mn3Zn0.75Sn0.25C. Meanwhile, substitution of Cr for Mn lowers the temperature of ferromagnetic-ferrimagnetic transition from 233 K for Mn3ZnC to 230 K for Mn2.9Cr0.1ZnC and to 175 K for Mn2.1Cr0.9ZnC. An inverse magnetocaloric effect with ?SM equal to 0.28 J?kg-1K-1 at 223 K for a field change from 0 to 1.47 T is observed for Mn2.9Cr0.1ZnC.

Key words: Magnetocaloric effect ,  Hysteresis ,  Second-order magnetic transition