A Finemet-type alloy as a low-cost candidate for high-temperature magnetic refrigeration

The refrigerant capacity (RC) of Fe68.5Mo5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 alloy is studied. For the amorphous sample, RC=63Jkg−1 for an optimal reversible cycle with cold and hot ends at 328K and 520K, respectively, for a maximum applied field H=15kOe. Nanocrystallization diminishes both the peak entropy change and RC of the material. Although the measured RC is smaller than for Gd5Ge1.9Si2Fe0.1 (240Jkg−1 for H=50kOe), the Mo-Finemet alloy is more than 20 times cheaper, the applied field employed is smaller, and the temperature span of the optimal cycle is increased. This makes this alloy a promising material for high-temperature refrigeration.