Influence of Sn substitution for Co in RCo2 (R = Gd, Tb, Dy) alloys on the structure and magnetocaloric effect

The phases and the magnetocaloric effect in the alloys R(Co1-xSnx)2 with x = 0, 0.025, 0.050, 0.075, and 0.100 were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and magnetization measurement. The substitution of Sn in RCo2 is limite. The cubic MgCu2-type structure for the alloys of RCo3 was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction and the remaining alloys mainly consisted of the RCo2 phase, along with some RCo3 and R5Sn3 impurity phases. The impurity phases increase with the increase of Sn content. The Tc of the alloys is not very sensitive to the Sn substitution for Dy(Co1-xSnx)2 and Tb(Co1-xSnx)2, whereas in Gd(Co1-xSnx)2, the Curie temperatures significantly increase. The maximum magnetic entropy changes in the alloys Dy(Co1-xSnx)2 (x = 0, 0.025, 0.050, 0.075) are 5.78, 5.43, 3.88, and 2.98 J.kg−1.K−1, respectively, and those in the Tb(Co1-xSnx)2 (x = 0, 0.025) are 3.44, and 2.29 J.kg−1.K−1 respectively in the applied field change of 0-2.0 T.