Magnetic properties and tuneable magnetocaloric effect with large temperature span in GdCd1−xRux solid solutions

•GdCd1−xRux solid solutions were synthesized by induction melting method.•Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in GdCd1−xRux were studied.•Tuneable MCE with large temperature span in GdCd1−xRux was observed.•GdCd1−xRux solid solutions are good candidates for active magnetic refrigeration.

The magnetic properties and the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the GdCd1−xRux (x = 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) solid solutions have been systematically investigated. A large reversible MCE has been observed in GdCd1−xRux accompanied by a second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic at TC ∼ 149, 108, and 73 K for x = 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2, respectively. Under a field change from 0 to 7 T, the maximum values of magnetic entropy change (–ΔSMmax) are 5.6, 7.8, and 11.0 J/kg K for x = 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2, respectively, the corresponding values of the relative cooling power (RCP) are 889, 852, and 828 J/kg. The considerable reversible MCE and large RCP values together with the tuneable TM in a wide temperature range make the GdCd1−xRux solid solutions considerable for active magnetic-refrigeration.