Magnetocaloric Effect of Micro- and Nanoparticles of Gd5Si4
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Ames National Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), operated by and located on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
For more than 70 years, the Ames National Laboratory has successfully partnered with Iowa State University, and is unique among the 17 DOE laboratories in that it is physically located on the campus of a major research university. Many of the scientists and administrators at the Laboratory also hold faculty positions at the University and the Laboratory has access to both undergraduate and graduate student talent.
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Abstract
Materials exhibiting a large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) at or near room temperature are critical for solid-state refrigeration applications. The MCE is described by a change in entropy (ΔSM) and/or temperature (ΔTad) of a material in response to a change in applied magnetic field. Ball milled materials generally exhibit smaller ΔSM values compared to bulk; however, milling broadens the effect, potentially increasing the relative cooling power (RCP). The as-cast Gd5Si4 is an attractive option due to its magnetic transition at 340 K and associated MCE. Investigation of effect of particles size and transition temperature in the binary material, Gd5Si4, can lead to development of functionally graded bulk material with higher MCE and RCP than the traditional bulk materials. A two-step ball-milling process, in which coarse powder of Gd5Si4 was first milled with poly(ethylene glycol) followed by milling in heptane was used to produce fine particles of Gd5Si4 that showed a broad distribution in particle size. Magnetic measurement on the milled sample obtained after washing with water show a decrease in Curie temperature and significant broadening of the magnetic transition. Compared to bulk Gd5Si4, the maximum MCE of the milled samples is also reduced and shifted down by close to 30 K, but the MCE remains substantial over a broader temperature range. The RCP of both milled samples increased 75% from the bulk material.