Magnetic and magnetocaloric effect in melt spun La_1-xR _xFe_13-yAl_yC_z (R = Pr and Nd) compounds

In this paper, we report the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of La_1-xR_xFe_13-yAl_yC _z (R = Pr and Nd, x = 0.1 and 0.2, y = 1.5 and 1.6 and z = 0.02 and 0.04) compounds. Temperature dependence of magnetization data shows second order and ferromagnetic transition for all compounds. MCE has been calculated in terms of isothermal (ΔS_M) using the magnetization isotherms obtained at transition temperature close to transition temperature. The maximum values of ΔS_M vary between ∼3 to ∼5 and ∼5.2 to ∼8.3 J kg^-1 K^-1 for a field change of 20 kOe and 50 kOe, respectively, whereas relative cooling power is ∼140 to ∼230 and ∼396 to ∼556 J kg^-1 for the same field change.