In this chapter, we will restrict our attention to the ferrites and a few other closely related materials. The great interest in ferrites stems from their unique combination of a spontaneous magnetization and a high electrical resistivity. The observed magnetization results from the difference in the magnetizations of two non-equivalent sub-lattices of the magnetic ions in the crystal structure. Materials of this type should strictly be designated as “ferrimagnetic” and in some respects are more closely related to anti-ferromagnetic substances than they are to ferromagnetics in which the magnetization results from the parallel alignment of all the magnetic moments present. We shall not adhere to this special nomenclature except to emphasize effects, which are due to the existence of the sub-lattices.

Ferromagnetic materials

A new energy paradigm, consisting of greater reliance on renewable energy sources and increased concern for energy effi ciency in the total energy lifecycle, has accelerated research into energy-related technologies. Due to their ubiquity, magnetic materials play an important role in improving the effi ciency and performance of devices in electric power generation, conditioning, conversion, transportation, and other energy-use sectors of the economy. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art hard and soft magnets and magnetocaloric materials, with an emphasis on their optimization for energy applications. Specifi cally, the impact of hard magnets on electric motor and transportation technologies, of soft magnetic materials on electricity generation and conversion technologies, and of magnetocaloric materials for refrigeration technologies, are discussed. The synthesis, characterization, and property evaluation of the materials, with an emphasis on structure‐property relationships, are discussed in the context of their respective markets, as well as their potential impact on energy effi ciency. Finally, considering future bottlenecks in raw materials, options for the recycling of rare-earth intermetallics for hard magnets will be discussed.

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Magnetic materials and devices for the 21st century: Stronger, lighter, and more energy efficient

Magnetic cooling could be a radically different energy solution that could replace conventional vapour compression refrigeration in the future. It is now shown that a Heusler-type magnetocaloric alloy exhibits a remarkable cooling capability due to the effect of a sharp structural transformation at a specific temperature. The finding may be of relevance beyond Heusler alloys and represents an important step towards the implementation of cooling systems based on magnetocaloric materials.

Giant magnetocaloric effect driven by structural transitions

This review paper illustrates the main normal and superconducting state properties of magnesium diboride, a material known since the early 1950s but only recently discovered to be superconductive at a remarkably high critical temperature Tc = 40 K for a binary compound. What makes MgB2 so special? Its high Tc, simple crystal structure, large coherence lengths, high critical current densities and fields, and transparency of grain boundaries to current promise that MgB2 will be a good material for both large-scale applications and electronic devices. During the last seven months, MgB2 has been fabricated in various forms: bulk, single crystals, thin films, tapes and wires. The largest critical current densities, greater than 10 MA cm−2, and critical fields, 40 T, are achieved for thin films. The anisotropy ratio inferred from upper critical field measurements is yet to be resolved as a wide range of values have been reported, γ = 1.2–9. Also, there is no consensus on the existence of a single anisotropic or double energy gap. One central issue is whether or not MgB2 represents a new class of superconductors, which is the tip of an iceberg awaiting to be discovered. To date MgB2 holds the record for the highest Tc among simple binary compounds. However, the discovery of superconductivity in MgB2 revived the interest in non-oxides and initiated a search for superconductivity in related materialss; several compounds have since been announced to be superconductive: TaB2, BeB2.75, C–S composites, and the elemental B under pressure.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/14/11/201/pdf

Review of the superconducting properties of MgB2

Magnetocaloric effect: From materials research to refrigeration devices

High density nanocrystalline MgB2 bulk superconductors with distinctly improved pinning were prepared by mechanical alloying of Mg and B powders at ambient temperatures followed by hot pressing. The nanocrystalline samples reveal high jc=105 A/cm2 at 20 K and 1 T together with an irreversibility line strongly shifted towards higher fields resulting in Hirr(T)∼0.8 Hc2(T), whereas typically Hirr(T)∼0.5 Hc2(T) is observed for untextured bulk samples. These values exceed those of all other reported bulk samples and are in the range of values for thin films. The improved pinning of this material, which mainly consists of spherical grains about 40–100 nm in size, is attributed to the large number of grain boundaries in the nanocrystalline state.

Improved superconducting properties in nanocrystalline bulk MgB2

Evolution of magnetic domain structures and coercivity in high-performance SmCo 2:17-type permanent magnets

Highly dense nanocrystalline MgB_2 bulk superconductors with distinctly improved pinning were prepared by mechanical alloying of Mg and B powders and hot compaction at ambient temperatures. The nanocrystalline samples reveal high critical current densities of 105 A/cm2 at 20 K and 1 T together with a strongly shifted irreversibility line towards higher fields resulting in H_irr(T) ~ 0.8 H_c2(T), whereas typically H_irr(T) ~ 0.5 H_c2(T) is observed for bulk untextured samples. These values exceed that of all other so far reported bulk samples and are in the range of the values of thin films. The improved pinning of this material which mainly consists of spherical grains of about 40-100 nm in size is attributed to the large number of grain boundaries.

Improved superconducting properties in nanocrystalline bulk MgB_2

A very large value of magnetic entropy change ∣ΔS∣=31J∕kgK was obtained at 201K under 5T in LaFe11.8Si1.2 melt-spun ribbons subjected to a very short-time annealing (2h∕1050°C). This value is much higher than that of a bulk LaFe11.44Si1.56 in this temperature range. The large ∣ΔS∣ is attributed to the first-order thermally induced transition at the Curie temperature TC, and is enhanced even further due to a more homogenous element distribution. With increasing Si concentration, TC is increased and ∣ΔS∣ is decreased due to a weakening or an even disappearance of the first-order magnetic phase transition.

Large magnetocaloric effect in melt-spun LaFe13−xSix

Improved trapped fields are reported for bulk melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) material in the temperature range between 20 and 50 K. Trapped fields up to 12.2 T were obtained at 22 K on the surface of single YBCO disks (with Ag and Zn additions). In YBCO minimagnets, maximum trapped fields of 16 T (at 24 K) and of 11,2 T (at 47 K) were achieved using (Zn+Ag) and Zn additions, respectively. In all cases, the YBCO disks were encapsulated in steel tubes in order to reinforce the material against the large tensile stress acting during the magnetizing process and to avoid cracking. We observed cracking not only during the magnetizing process, but also as a consequence of flux jumps due to thermomagnetic instabilities in the temperature range betweeen 20 and 30 K.

K.-H. Müller

Papers

Improved superconducting properties in nanocrystalline bulk MgB2

Evolution of magnetic domain structures and coercivity in high-performance SmCo 2:17-type permanent magnets

Improved superconducting properties in nanocrystalline bulk MgB_2

Large magnetocaloric effect in melt-spun LaFe13−xSix

Superconducting bulk magnets: Very high trapped fields and cracking