Magnetocaloric effect in Gd1-xNdxZn2

The magnetization of Gd1-xNdxZn2 (0 < x <= 1) was measured to study the effect of Nd substitution in GdZn2 with a Curie temperature of 85 K and a spin-reorientation transition temperature of 58 K on the magnetocaloric effect. The Nd counterpart NdZn2 shows antiferromagnetic order at 23 K. Samples of Gd1-xNdxZn2 (0 < x <= 1) were prepared by the melt-growth method. In Nd-substituted systems, the anomaly due to spin-reorientation disappeared. For x >= 0.6, field-induced metamagnetic transitions were observed, indicating an antiferromagnetic ground state. This complex magnetism may originate from competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. Magnetic entropy change Delta S-m was calculated based on the magnetization measurements. Delta S-m was suppressed by Nd substitution for x values up to 0.6. For x = 1 (NdZn2), the maximum value of Delta S-m was -9 J/K kg, which is almost the same as those of other Nd-based magnetocaloric materials. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.