Thermomagnetic Properties and Magnetocaloric Effect of R2Fe17C (R=Dy, Nd, Tb, Gd, Pr, Ho, Er) Compounds
We present a mean-field analysis, using the two-sublattice model, for the thermomagnetic and magnetocaloric properties of the R2Fe17C compounds, where R=Dy, Nd, Tb, Gd, Pr, Ho, Er and C is carbon. The dependence of magnetization, magnetic heat capacity, magnetic entropy and isothermal entropy change ∆Sm, are calculated for magnetic fields up to 5T and for temperatures up to 700 K . Direct magnetocaloric effect is present for all compounds with maximum ∆Sm between 6.13-10.95 J/K. mole for an applied field change of 5T. It is found that Pr2Fe17C compound has the highest ∆Sm of 10.95 J/K. mole at ∆H=5T and Tc=375 K. The inverse MCE is found in ferrimagnetic compounds, e.g. Gd2Fe17C, with ∆Sm= J/K mol at critical temperature Tc=623K and ∆Sm= J/K mol at Neel temperature TN=136 K. The calculated Arrott plots confirmed that the magnetic phase transitions in these compounds are of second order. The mean-field model proves its suitability for calculating the properties of the compounds under study.