Optimizing Magnetocaloric Properties of Heusler-Type Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys by Tuning Magnetostructural Transformation Parameters

Heusler-type magnetic shape memory alloys show a magnetostructural transformation from the low-magnetization phase to the high-magnetization phase upon the application of external magnetic fields. As a result, these alloys exhibit fascinating multifunctional properties, such as magnetic shape memory effect, magnetocaloric effect, magnetoresistance, and magnetic superelasticity. All these functional properties are intimately related to the coupling of the structural and magnetic transitions. Therefore, deliberate tuning of the magnetostructural transformation parameters is essential for obtaining optimal multifunctional properties. Here, we show that by tuning the magnetostructural transformation parameters, we are able to achieve a variety of novel magnetocaloric properties with different application potentials: (1) large magnetic entropy change of 31.9 J kg−1 K−1 under a magnetic field of 5 T; (2) giant effective magnetic refrigeration capacity (251 J kg−1) with a broad operating temperature window (33 K) under a magnetic field of 5 T; (3) large reversible field-induced entropy change (about 15 J kg−1 K−1) and large reversible effective magnetic refrigeration capacity (77 J kg−1) under a magnetic field of 5 T. The balanced tuning of magnetostructural transformation parameters of magnetic shape memory alloys may provide an instructive reference to the shape memory and magnetic refrigeration communities. © 2017, ASM International.