Effect of gallium doping on the magnetocaloric effect of LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.1

The lattice parameter and magnetocaloric properties of three samples of LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.1−xGax with x = 0, 0.03 and 0.05 have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and magnetization measurements. The lattice parameter increases slightly and the Curie temperature increases somewhat with increasing gallium content. However, a small amount of Ga doping into the sample decreases the magnetic entropy change of the sample. All the samples remain in the first-order magnetic phase transition. The most striking effect of the Ga doping is that the cooling capacity in the samples increases significantly. The maximum magnetic entropy change, −ΔSM, max, and the cooling capacity of the sample LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.07Ga0.03 are 11.9 J·kg−1·K−1 and 254.8 J·kg−1, respectively.