Enhanced glass forming ability and refrigerant capacity of a Gd55Ni22Mn3Al20 bulk metallic glass

In this work, a small amount of Mn was added to a Gd55Ni25Al20 glass forming alloy, as a replacement for Ni, and a Gd55Ni22Mn3Al20 bulk metallic glass (BMG) was obtained by suction casting. Its glass forming ability (GFA) was characterized by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, and its magnetic properties were measured using a magnetic property measurement system. It is found that the minor Mn addition can significantly improve both the GFA and the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of the alloy. The refrigerant capacity (RC) of the BMG can reach a high value of 825 J kg−1 under a field of 3979 kA/m, which is about 29% larger than that of a Gd55Ni25Al20 BMG. The effect of the minor Mn addition on the GFA and MCE of the BMG was investigated in the study.

► A new Gd55Ni22Mn3Al20 bulk metallic glass (BMG) was synthesized by minor Mn addition.
► The BMG has enhanced glass forming ability and excellent refrigerant capacity (RC).
► The RC of the BMG reaches a high value of 825 J kg−1 under a field of 3979 kA/m.
► Its excellent RC is related to its large effective magnetic moment.