Abstract: A heat exchanger bed is formed from a cascade of at least three different magnetocaloric materials with different Curie temperatures, which are arranged in succession by ascending or descending Curie temperature and are preferably isolated from one another by intermediate thermal and/or electrical insulators, the difference in the Curie temperatures of adjacent magnetocaloric materials being 0.5 to 6° C.

Abstract: A thermomagnetic generator which converts thermal energy to electrical energy without intermediate conversion to mechanical work and which works at temperatures in the range from ?20° C. to 200° C. comprises a thermomagnetic material selected from, for example, (1) compounds of the general formula (I) (AyBy?1)2+?CwDxEz??(I) where A is Mn or Co, B is Fe, Cr or Ni, C, D and E at least two of C, D and E are different, have a non-vanishing concentration and are selected from P, B, Se, Ge, Ga, Si, Sn, N, As and Sb, where at least one of C, D and E is Ge or Si, ? is a number in the range from ?0.1 to 0.1, w, x, y, z are numbers in the range from 0 to 1, where w+x+z=1.

Abstract: In a method for producing form bodies for heat exchangers, comprising a thermomagnetic material, said form bodies having channels for passage of a fluid heat exchange medium, a powder of the thermomagnetic material is introduced into a binder, the resulting molding material is applied to a carrier by printing methods, and the binder and if appropriate a carrier are removed subsequently and the resulting green body is sintered.

Abstract: What are described are magnetocaloric materials of the general formula (MnxFe1?x)2+zP1?ySiy where 0.55?x<1 0.4?y?0.8 ?0.1?z?0.1.

Abstract: A heat exchanger bed is formed from a cascade of at least three different magnetocaloric materials with different Curie temperatures, which are arranged in succession by ascending or descending Curie temperature and are preferably isolated from one another by intermediate thermal and/or electrical insulators, the difference in the Curie temperatures of adjacent magnetocaloric materials being 0.5 to 6° C.

Abstract: An open-cell porous shaped body for heat exchangers comprises a thermomagnetic material selected from, for example, (1) compounds of the general formula (I) (AyBy?1)2+?CwDxEz??(I) where A is Mn or Co, B is Fe, Cr or Ni, C, D and E at least two of C, D and E are different, have a non-vanishing concentration and are selected from P, B, Se, Ge, Ga, Si, Sn, N, As and Sb, where at least one of C, D and E is Ge or Si, ? is a number in the range from ?0.1 to 0.1, w, x, y, z are numbers in the range from 0 to 1, where w+x+z=1.

Abstract: What are described are polycrystalline magnetocaloric materials of the general formula MnaCobGecAx with A, B or C 0?x?0.5, 0.9?a?1.1, 0.9?b?1.1, 0.9?c?1.0, where up to 30 mol % of the Mn or Co may be replaced by Fe, Ni, Cr, V or Cu or up to 30 mol % of the Mn, Co or Ge may be replaced by vacancies, in which phases of the orthorhombic TiNiSi structure type and of the hexagonal Ni2In structure type are present at a temperature below ?40° C.

Abstract: A thermomagnetic generator which converts thermal energy to electrical energy without intermediate conversion to mechanical work and which works at temperatures in the range from ?20° C. to 200° C. comprises a thermomagnetic material selected from, for example, (1) compounds of the general formula (I) (AyBy?1)2+?CwDxEz??(I) where A is Mn or Co, B is Fe, Cr or Ni, C, D and E at least two of C, D and E are different, have a non-vanishing concentration and are selected from P, B, Se, Ge, Ga, Si, Sn, N, As and Sb, where at least one of C, D and E is Ge or Si, ? is a number in the range from ?0.1 to 0.1, w, x, y, z are numbers in the range from 0 to 1, where w+x+z=1.

Abstract: What are described are a packed heat exchanger bed composed of thermomagnetic material particles which have a mean diameter in the range from 50 ?m to 1 mm and give rise to a porosity in the packed bed of 30 to 45%, and a heat exchanger bed composed of a thermomagnetic material monolith which has continuous channels with a cross-sectional area of the individual channels in the range from 0.001 to 0.2 mm2 and a wall thickness of 50 to 300 ?m, a porosity in the range from 10 to 60% and a ratio of surface to volume in the range from 3000 to 50 000 m2/m3, or which has a plurality of parallel sheets with a sheet thickness of 0.1 to 2 mm and a sheet separation of 0.05 to 1 mm.