Influence of the small substitution of Z=Ni, Cu, Cr, V for Fe on the magnetic, magnetocaloric, and magnetoelastic properties of LaFe11.4Si1.6

We have studied the magnetic, magnetocaloric, and magnetostriction properties of LaFe11.4Si1.6 and La(Fe0.99Z0.01)11.4Si1.6 (Z=Ni, Cu, Cr, V) compounds using magnetization and strain gauge techniques. It was found that substitution of 1% of the Fe by Z-elements results in an increase in the Curie temperature (TC), and affects the magnetostriction and magnetocaloric properties of the parent compound, LaFe11.4Si1.6. A maximum shift in TC of about 11 K, and significantly smaller hysteresis losses in the vicinity of TC compared with those of the base compound, were found for Z=V. The maximum magnetovolume coupling constant was estimated to be ndd≈2.7×10-3 (μB/Fe atom)-2 for the parent compound. The changes in the volume magnetostriction, the magnetovolume coupling constant, and the magnetocaloric properties are strongly correlated with composition. The relative effects of the variation in cell parameters and electron concentration on the magnetostriction, TC, and the magnetocaloric properties are discussed. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved