Magnetocaloric and thermomagnetic properties of Ni2.18Mn0.82Ga Heusler alloy in high magnetic fields up to 140 kOe

Measurements of the adiabatic temperature change (Delta T) and the specific heat transfer (Delta Q) of Ni2.18Mn0.82Ga Heusler alloy were taken in order to quantify the direct giant magnetocaloric effect of the alloy when it is in the vicinity of magneto-structural phase transition (PT) from paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic martensite, and their results are presented. A new vacuum calorimeter was used to simultaneously measure Delta T and Delta Q of magnetocaloric materials with a Bitter coil magnet in fields of up to H - 140 kOe. Other thermomagnetic properties of this alloy were investigated using standard differential scanning calorimetry and PPMS equipment. The maximal values of magnetocaloric effect in H - 140 kOe were found to be Delta T - 8.4K at initial temperature 340K and Delta Q - 4900 J/kg at 343 K. Using this direct method, we show that the alloy indeed demonstrates the largest value of Delta Q as compared with previously published results for direct measurements of magnetocaloric materials, even though at 140 kOe the magnetic field-induced magnetostructural PT is still not complete. VC 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.