Magnetocaloric performance of the three-component HoErNi (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) Laves phases as composite refrigerants.

To date, significant efforts have been put into searching for materials with advanced magnetocaloric properties which show promise as refrigerants and permit realization of efficient cooling. The present study, by an example of HoErNi, develops the concept of magnetocaloric efficiency in the rare-earth Laves-phase compounds. Based on the magneto-thermodynamic properties, their potentiality as components of magnetocaloric composites is illustrated.