Assessing rapid solidification processing to produce magnetocaloric alloys for gas liquefaction

Abstract

Magnetic liquefaction, based on the magnetocaloric effect (MC), is an emerging technology for improving energy efficiency in gas liquefaction. Extensive studies have been conducted on the MC properties of many magnetic materials families to identify MC refrigerants that can potentially be used in different cooling stages of gas liquefiers. The main technological target in this field is the development of liquefaction systems for specific gases such as natural gas (liquefaction temperature at 111 K), nitrogen (77 K), hydrogen (20 K), and He (4.2 K)). This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of melt-spun ribbons made from intermetallic compounds with magnetic phase transitions near gas liquefaction temperatures. Comparative analyses with bulk counterparts highlight the influence of ribbon microstructure on magnetic properties. This research contributes to optimizing the performance of melt-spun ribbons in practical applications, advancing the field of magnetic liquefaction for efficient gas liquefaction systems.