Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ compounds

Polycrystalline Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ (x = 0–8) compounds were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The results show that Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ compounds exhibited the rhombohedral Th₂Zn₁₇-type crystal structure. The lattice parameter and unit cell volume increase with Mn content. The magnetic transition is a typical second-order transition near the T _C. The Curie temperature (T _C) of Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ compounds decrease sharply in the range of 300–27 K as the Mn content increase. The maximum magnetic entropy change (∣-ΔS _M∣) for Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ compounds is 6.25 J · kg⁻¹·K⁻¹ in a field of 5 T for the compounds with x = 0. The thermal hysteresis for Fe_17−xMn_xPr₂ are 6.59 K at x = 0 and 1.36 K at x = 8, which reduces with the increase in Mn content. (paper)