Microstructure, magnetic properties and cryogenic magnetocaloric effect in Cu20Al20Er60 amorphous ribbons

Abstract The glass forming ability, microstructure as well as the cryogenic magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in melt-spun Cu 20 Al 20 Er 60 ribbons were reported. The as-spun ribbons were confirmed to possess fully amorphous structure with a large supercooled liquid region of 54.3 K. A broad second-order paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (PM-FM) magnetic transition together with a large reversible cryogenic magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in Cu 20 Al 20 Er 60 amorphous ribbon was found around T C of 13.3 K. The MCE parameters of the maximum magnetic entropy change ( − Δ S M max ), relative cooling power ( RCP ) and refrigerant capacity ( RC ) for Cu 20 Al 20 Er 60 amorphous ribbons were evaluated to be 15.3 J/kg K, 543 J/kg and 420 J/kg for a magnetic field change (Δ H ) of 0–7 T, respectively.