Rotating magnetocaloric effect in textured polycrystalline Tb3NiGe2 compound with successive magnetic transitions

The magnetic and rotating magnetocaloric properties in textured Tb3NiGe2 compound were investigated. Two successive magnetic transitions, a ferrimagnetic to antiferromagnetic (AFM)-like transition at Tt = 130 K and an AFM to paramagnetic (PM)-like transition at TN = 144 K, are observed. Besides, a magnetic-field-induced antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic metamagnetic transition occurs in the temperature range of Tt ∼ TN. Large rotating magnetic entropy changes, together with considerable adiabatic temperature changes and refrigeration capacity, are obtained in textured Tb3NiGe2 compound. Moreover, the equivalence of different calculation methods for rotating magnetocaloric effect (RMCE) is discussed mathematically. The large RMCE with excellent thermal and magnetic reversibility suggests textured Tb3NiGe2 compound as an attractive candidate for novel magnetic refrigerant.