Review on Research and Development of Gd₅(Si_xGe_1-x)₄ Magnetic Refrigerant Materials

For the purpose of promoting the practicality of magnetic refrigeration technology in China, a systematic presentations of the Gd₅(Si_xGe_1-x)4 inter-metallic compounds was given, which possessed the best magneto-caloric effect among all magnetic refrigerant materials at room temperature. In this paper, the relationships between the magneto-caloric effect and the crystal structure as well as phase transition was clarified; furthermore, several effective ways to improve the magneto-caloric properties of the alloys in recent studies were recommended. Some problems and solutions for the applications of the alloys in the near future were also discussed.