Substitution effects of p-block elements on magnetic properties of GdNi4B, GdNi4In, GdCo4Al and DyCo4.6Si0.4.

[Display omitted] • GdNi 4 B, GdNi 4 In, GdCo 4 Al and DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 prepared via arc-furnace melting/annealing. • GdNi 4 B and GdNi 4 In show dominant ferromagnetic ordering of Gd sublattice. • GdCo 4 Al and DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 exhibit HT dominant ferromagnetic ordering of Co sublattice. • GdCo 4 Al and DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 show LT with dominant ordering of rare earth sublattice. • GdNi 4 In exhibits largest magnetocaloric effect from GdNi 4 {B, Al, Ga, Si, In} compounds. The polycrystalline CeCo 4 B-type GdNi 4 B (space group P 6/ mmm , N 191, hP 12), CaCu 5 -type GdCo 4 Al and DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 (space group P 6/ mmm , N 191, hP 6) and MgCu 4 Sn-type GdNi 4 In (space group F -43 m , N 216, cF 24) were prepared by arc melting with following annealing. The magnetic ordering and magnetocaloric effects of these compounds have been investigated using magnetic measurements in fields up to 90 kOe. GdNi 4 B and GdNi 4 In show dominant ferromagnetic ordering of Gd sublattice with T C of 39 K and 24 K, respectively with magnetic entropy change of −11.3 J/kg·K for GdNi 4 B and −11.8 J/kg·K for GdNi 4 In for a field change of 50 kOe. GdCo 4 Al and DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 exhibit high-temperature dominant ferromagnetic ordering of Co sublattice with low-temperature spin-reorientation transformation of magnetic ordering and dominant ordering of rare earth sublattice in width temperature interval. In a field change of 50 kOe, the compensation temperature of DyCo 4.6 Si 0.4 is followed via table-like magnetic entropy change of −1.0 J/kg·K at ∼40–240 K, while GdCo 4 Al exhibits magnetic entropy change of around −0.6 J/kg·K at ∼150–300 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]