Magnetic properties and large reversible magnetocaloric effect in PrCo2B2 compound

A single-phased PrCo2B2 compound was prepared by an arc-melting method. The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) were studied by the magnetization and heat capacity measurement. The compound exhibits a single paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at the Curie temperature T-C of 18 K. A large reversible MCE was observed which is related to a second order magnetic transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state. The values of maximum magnetic entropy change (-Delta S-M(max)) reach 4.9 and 9.6 J Kg(-1) K-1 for the field change of 2 and 7 T with no obvious hysteresis loss in the vicinity of the Curie temperature, respectively. The corresponding maximum adiabatic temperature changes (Delta T-ad(max)) are evaluated to be 4.3 and 9.8 K. The magnetic transition and the origin of large MCE in PrCo2B2 were discussed. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3173565]