Magnetic properties and tunable magneto-caloric effect in La0.8Ce0.2Fe11.5−xCoxSi1.5C0.2 (x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7) compounds

The magnetic and magneto-caloric properties in the ternary elementals doped La0.8Ce0.2Fe11.5−xCoxSi1.5C0.2 (x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7) compounds were studied. With the increases of Co content x, the Curie temperature TC increases and the thermal hysteresis decreases. All the compounds undergo a second-order magnetic phase transition and exhibit a considerable reversible tunable magneto-caloric effect. The values of maximum magnetic entropy change (−ΔSMmax) and the Relative Cooling Power (RCP) are kept at same high level with different Co content. Under a magnetic field change of 0-5 T, the values of −ΔSMmax for La0.8Ce0.2Fe11.5−xCoxSi1.5C0.2 are 10.5, 10.7, and 9.8 J/kg K for x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7, respectively. The corresponding values of RCP are 267.1, 289.9, and 290.2 J/kg.