Multifaceted Analysis of Pr2Fe16.75Ni0.25 Intermetallic Compound: Crystallographic Insights, Critical Phenomena, and Thermomagnetic Behavior near Room Temperature

The alloy Pr2Fe16.75Ni0.25 has been examined to investigate its structural properties, critical behavior, and magnetocaloric effects. Rietveld’s refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns has revealed a rhombohedral structure with an R3¯m space group. Pr2Fe16.9Ni0.25 also demonstrates a direct magnetocaloric effect near room temperature, accompanied by a moderate magnetic entropy change (−ΔSMmax = 5.5 J kg−1 K−1 at μ0ΔH=5 T) and a broad working temperature range. Furthermore, the Relative Cooling Power (RCP) is approximately 89% of the widely recognized gadolinium (Gd) for μ0ΔH=2 T. This compound exhibits a commendable magnetocaloric response, on par with or even surpassing that of numerous other intermetallic alloys. Critical behavior was analyzed using thermo-magnetic measurements, employing methods such as the modified Arrott plot, critical isotherm analysis, and Kouvel-Fisher techniques. The obtained critical exponents (β, γ, and δ) exhibit similarities to those of the 3D-Ising model, characterized explicitly by intermediate range interactions.