Magnetocaloric effect in as-quenched and annealed Fe91-xYxZr9 (x=0.5, 10) alloys

The magnetization behaviours have been analyzed for as-quenched and annealed Fe91-xYxZr9 (x = 0, 5, 10) alloys. Samples were prepared by arc melting the high-purity elemental constituents under argon gas atmosphere and by single roller melt spinning. These alloys were annealed one hour at 500 degrees C. The magnetic properties of the samples were measured by VSM. The Curie temperature increases with increasing Y concentration (x = 0 to 10). Temperature dependence of the entropy variation Delta S-M was found to appear in the vicinity of the Curie temperature. The results show that annealed Fe91-xYxZr9 alloys have a greater magnetocaloric effect than that those in as-quenched alloys. The value is -1.23 J/kg K at Delta H = 1.5 T for annealed alloy and -0.89 for as-quenched alloy, respectively. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.