Refrigerant capacity and utilization ratio in NaZn13-type La–Fe–Si compounds

The refrigerant capacity of LaFe13-xSix (x=1.17-2.6) compounds has been investigated according to the isothermal magnetic entropy change curves. The utilization ratio of the compounds with low Si concentration, deduced from the refrigerant capacity, is greatly larger than that of Gd. The compound with x=1.17 achieves the highest refrigerant capacity and utilization ratio among all the samples. Due to having large magnetic entropy changes, high refrigerant capacities, and large utilization ratios, LaFe13-xSix compounds with low Si concentration could be considered as good magnetic refrigerant materials which are very favorable to engineering design. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.