Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in ternary REAgAl (RE = Er and Ho) intermetallic compounds

Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect in REAgAl (RE = Er and Ho) intermetallic compounds have been studied. Both compounds undergo a second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state. A large reversible magnetocaloric effect was observed around its own Curie temperatures T-C similar to 14 and 18 K for ErAgAl and HoAgAl, respectively. For a field change of 0-7 T, the maximum magnetic entropy change reaches 13.7 and 13.8 J/kg K for RE = Er and Ho, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling powers are evaluated to be 398 and 525 J/kg. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.