Prediction of magnetocaloric effect in La0.8SrxCa0.2−xMnO3 compounds (x = 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15) with a first-order magnetic phase transition

• The La0.8SrxCa0.2−xMnO3 (x = 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15) were prepared by sol–gel process.
• The magnetocaloric effect has been determined using phenomenological model.
• Large magnetocaloric effect is reported based on first order phase transition.
• This compound may be suitable as a refrigerant material.

In this paper, we have studied structural and magnetocaloric properties of La0.8SrxCa0.2−xMnO3 system with x = 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that samples with x = 0.05 and x = 0.1 crystallize in an orthorhombic structure in Pnma space group, whereas the sample with x   = 0.15 crystallize in the rhombohedral structure with R3¯c space group. The field dependence of magnetocaloric properties of manganite La0.8SrxCa0.2−xMnO3 undergoing first order phase transition is investigated using a phenomenological model. The magnetic entropy change of the samples varies from 1.01 J/kg K for x = 0–1.57 J/kg K for x = 0.15 under the applied magnetic field of 12 kOe. These results indicate that the present compounds are one of candidate materials for magnetic refrigerators near room temperature.