Direct measurement of the magnetocaloric effect in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

Polycrystalline perovskite La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 was synthesized by a sol-gel method. Its adiabatic temperature change ΔTad induced by a magnetic field change was measured directly. At 268 K, near its Curie temperature TC, ΔTad of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 induced by a magnetic field change of 2.02 T reaches 2.4 K. The latent heat Q and magnetic entropy change −ΔSM induced by a magnetic field change were calculated from the temperature dependence of ΔTad and zero-field heat capacity Cp. The maximum values of Q and −ΔSM in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 induced by a magnetic field change of 2.02 T are 1.85 J g−1 and 6.9 J kg−1 K−1, respectively. The former is larger than the phase transition latent heat of heating or cooling, which is about 1.70 J g−1.