Abstract: A method is provided for the heat treatment of an object comprising at least one rare-earth element with a high vapor pressure. One or more objects comprising at least one rare-earth element with a high vapor pressure are arranged in an interior of a package. An external source of the at least one rare-earth element is arranged so as to compensate for the evaporation of this same rare-earth element from the object and/or to increase the vapor pressure of the rare-earth element in the interior of the package, and the package is heat treated.

Abstract: A regenerator for a magnetic heat exchanger is provided. The regenerator comprises a housing having a chamber, an inlet and outlet for a working medium, and a chamber volume V. At least one magnetocalorically active component is arranged in the chamber between the inlet and the outlet and has at least one inner flow channel with a hydraulic diameter dhyd. The volume of the chamber not occupied by the magnetocalorically active component provides at least one bypass flow channel, both the inlet and the outlet being reached from the at least one bypass flow channel, and this bypass flow channel having a hydraulic diameter D, where D>dhyd. The at least one inner flow channel of the magnetocalorically active component is in flow communication with the bypass flow channel. The magnetocalorically active component and the at least one bypass flow channel are arranged parallel to one another.

Abstract: A sintered R2M17 magnet is provided that comprises at least 70 Vol % of a Sm2M17 phase, wherein R is at least one of the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y, and M comprises Co, Fe, Cu and Zr. In an area of the R2M17 sintered magnet of 200 by 200 ?m viewed in a Kerr micrograph, an areal proportion of demagnetised regions after application of an internal opposing field of 1200 kA/m is less than 5% or less than 2%.

Abstract: A sintered R2M17 magnet is provided that comprises at least 70 Vol % of a Sm2M17 phase, wherein R is at least one of the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y, and M comprises Co, Fe, Cu and Zr. In an area of the R2M17 sintered magnet of 200 by 200 ?m viewed in a Kerr micrograph, an areal proportion of demagnetised regions after application of an internal opposing field of 1200 kA/m is less than 5% or less than 2%.

Abstract: A method is provided in which a lower box comprising a base, walls that surround the base and an open side, and an upper box comprising a cover, walls that surround the cover and an open side are provided. One or more objects are arranged on the base of the lower box. The object(s) are covered with the upper box such that the open side of the upper is oriented towards the base of the box, the walls of the upper box are arranged on the base of the lower box and a gap is formed between the walls of the upper box and the walls of the lower box. A powder material is introduced into the gap in order to form an assembly having an interior. The powder material provides a mechanical obstacle to gas exchange between the interior and the environment. This assembly is then heat treated.

Abstract: A method is provided for the heat treatment of an object comprising at least one rare-earth element with a high vapor pressure. One or more objects comprising at least one rare-earth element with a high vapor pressure are arranged in an interior of a package. An external source of the at least one rare-earth element is arranged so as to compensate for the evaporation of this same rare-earth element from the object and/or to increase the vapor pressure of the rare-earth element in the interior of the package, and the package is heat treated.

Abstract: A sintered R2M17 magnet is provided that comprises at least 70 Vol % of a Sm2M17 phase, wherein R is at least one of the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y, and M comprises Co, Fe, Cu and Zr. In an area of the R2M17 sintered magnet of 200 by 200 ?m viewed in a Kerr micrograph, an areal proportion of demagnetised regions after application of an internal opposing field of 1200 kA/m is less than 5% or less than 2%.

Abstract: A sintered R2M17 magnet is provided that comprises at least 70 Vol % of a Sm2M17 phase, wherein R is at least one of the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y, and M comprises Co, Fe, Cu and Zr. In an area of the R2M17 sintered magnet of 200 by 200 ?m viewed in a Kerr micrograph, an areal proportion of demagnetised regions after application of an internal opposing field of 1200 kA/m is less than 5% or less than 2%.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a working component for magnetic heat exchange comprises arranging at least two articles comprising a magnetocalorically active phase and an elongated form with a long axis having a length 1 and a shortest axis having a length s, wherein 1?1.5 s, such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another and securing the at least two articles in a position within the working component such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another within the working component.

Abstract: An article for magnetic heat exchange includes a functionally-graded monolithic sintered working component including La1-aRa(Fe1-x-yTyMx)13HzCb with a NaZn13-type structure. M is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Si and Al, T is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr and R is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. A content of the one or more elements T and R, if present, a C content, if present, and a content of M varies in a working direction of the working component and provides a functionally-graded Curie temperature. The functionally-graded Curie temperature monotonically decreases or monotonically increases in the working direction of the working component.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a working component for magnetic heat exchange comprises arranging at least two articles comprising a magnetocalorically active phase and an elongated form with a long axis having a length 1 and a shortest axis having a length s, wherein 1?1.5 s, such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another and securing the at least two articles in a position within the working component such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another within the working component.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a working component for magnetic heat exchange comprises arranging at least two articles comprising a magnetocalorically active phase and an elongated form with a long axis having a length l and a shortest axis having a length s, wherein l?1.5 s, such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another and securing the at least two articles in a position within the working component such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another within the working component.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an article for magnetic heat exchange, is provided which comprises plastically deforming a composite body comprising a binder having a glass transition temperature TG and a powder comprising a magnetocalorically active phase or elements in amounts suitable to produce a magnetocalorically active phase such that at least one dimension of the composite body' changes in length by at least 10%.

Abstract: An article for magnetic heat exchange includes a functionally-graded monolithic sintered working component including La1-aRa(Fe1-x-yTyMx)13HzCb with a NaZn13-type structure. M is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Si and Al, T is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr and R is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. A content of the one or more elements T and R, if present, a C content, if present, and a content of M varies in a working direction of the working component and provides a functionally-graded Curie temperature. The functionally-graded Curie temperature monotonically decreases or monotonically increases in the working direction of the working component.

Abstract: An article for magnetic heat exchange includes a functionally-graded monolithic sintered working component including La1-aRa(Fe1-x-yTyMx)13HzCb with a NaZn13-type structure. M is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Si and Al, T is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr and R is one or more of the elements from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. A content of the one or more elements T and R, if present, a C content, if present, and a content of M varies in a working direction of the working component and provides a functionally-graded Curie temperature. The functionally-graded Curie temperature monotonically decreases or monotonically increases in the working direction of the working component.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a reactive sintered magnetic article, a composite article comprising a mantle and at least one core and a laminate article comprising two or more composite articles are provided which each comprise (La1?aMa) (Fe1?b?c?Tb?Y?c)13?dXe, wherein 0?a?0.9, 0?b?0.2, 0.05?c?0.2, ?1?d?+1, 0?e?3.

Abstract: An article for magnetic heat exchange comprising a magnetocalorically active phase with a NaZn13-type crystal structure is provided by hydrogenating a bulk precursor article. The bulk precursor article is heated from a temperature of less than 50° C. to at least 300° C. in an inert atmosphere and hydrogen gas only introduced when a temperature of at least 300° C. is reached. The bulk precursor article is maintained in a hydrogen containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range 300° C. to 700° C. for a selected duration of time, and then cooled to a temperature of less than 50° C.

Abstract: A composite article (1; 10; 40) comprises a plurality of inclusions (5) of a magnetocalorically active material embedded in a matrix (4) of a magnetocalorically passive material. The inclusions (5) and the matrix (4) have a microstructure characteristic of a compacted powder.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an article for magnetic heat exchange, is provided which comprises plastically deforming a composite body comprising a binder having a glass transition temperature TG and a powder comprising a magnetocalorically active phase or elements in amounts suitable to produce a magnetocalorically active phase such that at least one dimension of the composite body’ changes in length by at least 10%.

Abstract: A process of fabricating a monolithic working component for magnetic heat exchange is disclosed. The process includes mixing two or more portions comprising amounts of La, Fe, Si and at least one of T and R suitable to produce a La1-aRa(Fe1-x-yTySix)13Hz phase, wherein T is at least one element from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni and Cr and R is at least one element from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr. The amount of T, R, and Si is selected for each of the two or more portions to provide the two or more portions with differing Curie temperatures and, preferably, a density, d, within a range of ±5% of an average density, dav, of a total number of portions. The process includes heat treating a single monolithic green body formed from two or more precursor powder mixtures to produce a single monolithic working component.