Magnetocaloric effect in UNiGa compound with the multiple magnetic phase transitions

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the UNiGa compound has been studied using the dc magnetization measurement technique. This system shows normal and inverse MCEs at low field around the paramagnetic to ferrimagnetic transition temperature (38.4 K), and the ferrimagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition temperature (34.5 K), respectively. At higher fields, the inverse MCE becomes very weak, which could be explained due to the presence of a field-induced metamagnetic phase transition. The maximum value of the magnetic entropy change -Delta S-M, for Delta mu H-0 = 5T, has been found to be 3.56 J kg(-1) K-1 at similar to 37.2 K with a relative cooling power of 22.5 J kg(-1). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.