Thermophysical Properties of CeB6 and PrB6 at subambient temperatures

Equilibrium adiabatic heat-capacity measurements have been made on zone refined samples of CeB6 and PrB6. Companion measurements made on LaB6, NdB6, and GdB6 have been reported elsewhere. These show cooperative lambda-type anomalies associated with antiferro-magnetic ordering. Except for lanthanum hexaboride, Schottky internal crystal field levels result in significant contributions to the thermodynamic functions. The gross thermodynamic properties at 298.15 K heat capacity (Cp/R), entropy increment (ΔT0,mS0/R), and Gibbs energy function are correlated with the nature of the lanthanide. For LaB6, CeB6, PrB6, NdB6, and GdB6 the three properties are, respectively: {11.654, 12.014, 11.997, 11.916, 11.695} Cp/R; {10.001, 11.803, 12.430, 12.558, 13.982} S0/R, and finally {4.379, 5.912, 6.232, 6.451, 7.905}Φ0m/R.