Magnetocaloric effect of (Gd1−xNdx)Co2 alloys in low magnetic field

The phases and magnetocaloric effect in the alloys (Gd(subscript 1-x)Nd(subscript x))Co2 with x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and magnetization measurement. The samples are single phase with a cubic MgCu2-type structure. The Tc decreases obviously with increasing Nd content from 404 K of the alloy with x=0 to 272 K of the alloy with x=0.4; for x=0.3, the Tc is 296 K, which is near room temperature. In the samples (Gd(subscript 1-x)Nd(subscript x))Co2 with x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4, the maximum magnetic entropy change is 1.471, 1.228, 1.280, 1.381 and 1.610 J•kg^(-1)•K^(-1), respectively, in the applied field range of 0-2.0 T. The results of Arrott plots confirmed that the transition type were second order magnetic transition for x=0, 0.3, and 0.4.