Review of the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in ternary rare earth RE2T2X type intermetallic compounds

It is well known that rare earth (RE) based intermetallic compounds reveal various interesting magnetic properties depending on the crystallized structures and the constituent elements, paving the way for potential applications in different fields. Recent progresses regarding magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in ternary rare earth RE2T2X (RE = Gd-Tm; T = Cu, Ni, Co; and X = Cd, In, Ga, Sn, Al) intermetallic compounds are reviewed in this paper. Some of them exhibit excellent MCE performances which make them attractive in the field of magnetic refrigeration at low temperature. With the aim of understanding the magnetocaloric characteristics of RE2T2X compounds, the crystal structure, magnetism and magnetic phase transition are also focused. The origin of the MCE together with the physics behind and the potential application of RE2T2X compounds are thoroughly considered. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.